


TMNT 100 Theme

by Applepye



Category: Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles (TV 2003), Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Turtles Forever (2009)
Genre: F/M, M/M, Rule 63
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2015-06-05
Updated: 2018-03-20
Packaged: 2018-04-03 00:38:15
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 67
Words: 162,278
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/4079926
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Applepye/pseuds/Applepye
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>So I decided to do a one hundred themed challenge and make it into a chapter story. I rearranged them so that they would fit with what I had in mind. This is the one that will eventually have female turtles in it. If you don’t like the guys to have relations with females then don’t start reading and just ignore this story. I created these female characters back when I was a kid and ever since I started writing, I have wanted to write a story with them. </p><p>This takes place after Turtles Forever and Donny is fascinated by the multiverse and all the possibilities that exist. Hun is a mutant turtle and the Turtles are nineteen, for the bulk of the story but they start out at eighteen though. There will be het sex and slash sex and only one instance of t-cest (I don’t think sex with their counterparts from other dimensions qualifies as t-cest).  There will also be violence in the story along with serious injuries and some character death but not the main Turtles, Donny will see some death in his portal device though.</p><p>Leatherhead and Donny are a couple and the other couples will be revealed as the story progresses.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Puzzle

Warning: contains dub-con. 

 

Donny went out alone. He knew that it was a bad idea. They still had enemies even though Shredder had been defeated. 

Their experience with the multiverse had a major impact on the genius turtle. When his seemingly childlike counterpart managed to make a portal devise out of junk it made Donny feel inadequate in some ways. 

If his counterpart could make a portal devise, then he was going to as well. It had become his new obsession. 

He was working late and everyone else had gone to sleep, including Leatherhead who had moved into the lair. Donny didn’t want to bother anyone, they were all already giving him a hard time about his project as it was, so he headed out to the dump by himself. 

As he sat in the holding cell deep within Bishop’s compound he had come to the conclusion that it had been a bad idea. 

He didn’t know how long he had been there; he had been drugged for a good portion of the time. He knew Bishop had done something to him but he wasn’t sure what. All he knew was that he felt different. Maybe it was just the drugs. 

Two large guards entered his cell and dragged him into another room. They dropped him to the floor under a spot light and Donny knew that he was being used as bate. 

He tried to move but his head spun and he had to close his eyes to quell the sensation. Bile rose in his throat and all he wanted to do was sleep. 

He heard the commotion and knew that his brothers had come for him and, by the sound of things, Leatherhead was with them. All he could do was wait. 

It was hard for him to follow all that was going on. When his brothers reached him, their words were muffled and there looked to be more of them than there should have been. 

There was a lot of yelling and Leatherhead lifted him up. It felt like his soul was being lifted from his body, he was so disoriented. He was numb and in pain at the same time. 

Leonardo yelled something. It sounded urgent whatever it was. 

He tried to keep himself curled up so that he was easier for Leatherhead to carry but it was hard, he was just so weak. 

He must have passed out because the next thing he knew was that he was outside. The cool breeze helped with his nausea but his body still felt heavy. He hated feeling so useless. 

Donny opened his eyes long enough to notice that the sun was starting to come up. He knew that they were going to have to find shelter fast. 

He heard Raphael say something and Leatherhead darted off in a different direction. The cool air was soon replaced with the stuffiness of a roof top shed. 

Leatherhead’s hands moved over Donatello’s body, most likely looking for a tracking device.

“I think we’re safe here,” Raph mumbled, looking out one of the windows. “We’ll be stuck here until nightfall.”

“I’m not finding any tracking devices on him,” Leatherhead stated, laying Donny gingerly on the floor. “As long as they didn’t see us come in here and as long as no one needs to get something out of the shed, we should be safe.”

“Do you think Mikey and Leo are okay,” Raph asked, keeping his gaze out the window. 

“We will know tonight when we return to the lair,” Leatherhead stated as a matter of fact. “Until then, we should try to get some sleep.”

Anything else they had to say went unheard as Donny drifted into unconsciousness. 

When he awoke, judging by the light that was coming through the small window, it was midday. His head was clear and when he moved to sit up he was pleased to discover that his nausea was gone. Despite that, he still felt strange. 

He looked around the small shed and saw Raph staring at him. Their eyes stayed locked for a few heartbeats then Donny pried his gaze away to continue to look around, only to discover that Leatherhead was staring at him too. 

“Hey, Kroki,” Donny said, adding his pet name for Leatherhead as a term of endearment. 

Donny’s heart started to hammer in his chest when he realized that the look in Leatherhead’s eyes was one of lust. Chancing a quick glance back at Raph, Donny noticed the same look in his brother’s eyes. 

“Why are you guys looking at me like that?” Donny asked as he scooted back away from them. He couldn’t go far in the small structure and his back hit the wall before he was able to go very far. 

Leatherhead made the first move. He was so quick that Donny barely had any time to react before he was dragged over and pinned to the floor. 

Donny would normally submit to Leatherhead willingly, he did it all the time but there was something about his mate that frightened Donny. Leatherhead was usually a private individual and would never act in such a way in front of someone. 

Leatherhead pulled Donny’s tail down with his own and Donny felt the tip of Leatherhead’s penis searching for his cloaca. “I’m not prepped,” Donny whimpered as he tried to pull away. 

Despite his protests, Leatherhead bucked his hips and pushed inside. Donny was shocked when it didn’t hurt, it should have hurt. He hadn’t realized before but he was somehow already wet and ready. 

He felt his own erection start to swell inside his tail. Leatherhead was aware enough to pull back and let it out so it wouldn’t hurt Donny. 

It felt wrong to have sex in front of Raph but Donny’s hormones were taking over and he stopped caring. He kissed along Leatherhead’s neck and up his jawline. 

Donny climaxed, calling out “Kroki” as his fingers dug into Leatherhead’s shoulders. 

Leatherhead was soon to follow, burying himself deep as he released his seed. 

Shame washed over Donny and he was unable to look up at his brother. He hadn’t even confessed to his family about his relationship with Leatherhead or that he was gay. Yet there he was, lying on the floor with Leatherhead’s cum seeping from his tail. 

He was so lost in his guilt that he hadn’t realized that Raph had moved to his side. He jumped when he opened his eyes to find his brother moving over him. 

Donny knew for a fact that his brother wasn’t gay. He had that crush on Joi a few years back and had expressed his desire for women several times. 

“What did Bishop do?” Donny whimpered as he felt Raph enter him. “I know you wouldn’t be doing this on your own.”

Donny wondered what was going through Raph’s head. Was he aware of what he was doing or was it like a dream? When he looked into those golden eyes, they appeared to be sad but at the same time filled with a primal need. 

Donny had never heard Raph churr before. It was deeper than his and when they churred together it was almost harmonic. Unlike Leatherhead, Raph didn’t make any moves for affection and pulled up anytime Donny attempted it. 

“You don’t really want to do this do you?” Donny asked, bringing his hand up to cup Raph’s cheek. His only response was the tears that fell from Raph’s eyes as he closed them and leaned into the touch. “It’s okay,” Donny soothed but Raph turned his head away.

The two took turns on Donny until well into the evening. 

It had been a while since Raph had finished and when Donny looked over at Leatherhead, expecting him to approach again, the large crocodile was sitting with his back to Donny. 

Sitting up, Donny looked around the room and found Raph sitting in a corner. They had come back to their senses and were facing their guilt. 

“Are you guys okay,” Donny asked, tucking his legs so that he was sitting on his feet. 

There was a long silence then Raph said, “After what we just did to you, you’re asking us if we’re okay?”

“Did we hurt you?” Leatherhead asked over his shoulder, unable to look at Donny. 

“I’m fine,” Donny tried to assure them but his voice cracked. “Bishop did something to me... to us. What you did wasn’t your fault.”

“I can’t believe I did that,” Raph mumbled to himself. “You’re my brother.”

“You weren’t yourself,” Donny offered. “Please, don’t blame yourself. I’m fine.” He looked over at Leatherhead. “Really I am. You didn’t hurt me.”

He crawled over to Raph. “I don’t know why Bishop did what he did or what his ultimate goal may be but please don’t let it come between us. Don’t grant him that victory.”

“Like hell I’m gonna let Bishop win at anything,” Raph scoffed. 

“Then come out of the corner,” Donny pulled on Raph’s arm, “and stop sulking.”

With a slight nod, Raph got up and together they walked over to where Leatherhead was sitting. Their large crocodile friend stood as they approached and turned to embrace Donny. “I am so sorry, my love.”

Clearing his throat to get their attention, Raph then asked, “My love?”

Blushing, Donny pulled away from Leatherhead and nodded. “We’ve been together for almost a year now.”

“And this is the first I’m hearing about it?” Raph looked between them. “Am I the last to know? You know, I’m not homophobic or anything. There was no reason to keep this from me.”

“You’re the first to know, actually,” Donny corrected. “We weren’t sure how the family would react.”

Donny noticed Raph’s face darken as he looked away, “You guys are together, so not only did I force myself on my brother, but I did it in front of his boyfriend. How fucked up is that?”

“I hold no ill feelings towards you, my friend.” Leatherhead placed his hand on Raph’s shoulder. “As for Bishop,” he growled. “He will pay.”

“You’re damn right he will.” Raph agreed. “Why the hell would he want to make it so that we would wanna fuck Donny?”

“You didn’t need to put it so crudely,” Donny glared at Raph. 

“That’s what it was,” Raph grumbled. “Nothing more than a crude act. Don’t get me wrong. I care about you, Don, but I don’t usually desire you and in that moment, I didn’t care about what you wanted or that it was wrong.”

“Well, it’s over,” Donny walked over towards the door. “The sun’s gone down. We should get back to the lair. I still feel a little strange and I want to take a nap.”

“You sure you’re okay?” Raph walked up to Donny and looked him in the eye. Even in the dimming light, Raph’s eyes seemed to shine. 

“I’m fine,” Donny insisted. “I just need to lie down.”

“Okay,” Raph nodded and carefully opened the door to make sure that it was safe. 

When he deemed that the coast was clear, the trio made their way back into the sewers. Donny pushed himself to keep up but his body was still weak. By the time they got down into the sewers, he was panting for breath. 

Noticing that Donny was falling behind, Leatherhead turned around and picked him up. They made a quick detour to Leatherhead’s old lair so that they could all wash then headed straight for the lair. 

When they entered, Mikey and Leo rushed to greet them. “We were starting to get worried,” Leo said as he approached. They both looked like they hadn’t slept all day. 

“We stayed in a storage shed all day,” Raph explained. “We weren’t sure if the sewers would be flooded with agents or not or if Donny had a tracking devise on him.”

“By the time we reached the storage shed, the sun had come out and Donatello was sick so we decided to stay put until dark,” Leatherhead added. “Donatello is still weak.”

“Take him to his lab to get some rest,” Leo said then shifted his attention to Raph. “How do you guys feel? Any… odd feelings?”

“No,” Raph answered right away. “Why?”

Leo was tense as he shook his head and responded, “No reason. I’m going to bed.” Without another word, he turned and headed straight for his room

Donny was able to catch a glance at Mikey before Leatherhead carried him into his lab. The youngest Turtle looked distraught and on the verge of tears. 

“They were affected too,” Donny mumbled as Leatherhead put him down. “Why would Bishop do this?”

“I do not know,” Leatherhead soothed. “I can only assume that he wanted to cause discomfort within your family.”

“Are you really not mad at Raph?”

“I assure you that I am not,” Leatherhead smiled and pulled the blanket over Donny. “There will be time to worry about them later. For now, get some sleep.”

“I love you, Kroki,” Donny said, running his hand down Leatherhead’s arm. 

“I love you too,” Leatherhead leaned in and nuzzled Donny’s neck. 

Though his mid was racing, something that usually kept him awake, it wasn’t long before Donny drifted off to sleep.


	2. Bloody

TMNT 100 Theme  
Chapter 2  
Bloody  
Warning: Violence, near character death and details of injuries.   
Pairing Leatherhead/Don

**

They always fought. 

It was a daily occurrence. Donny had learned to tune it out; he didn’t even know what they were fighting over. The end of the argument was signaled with the slam of a door as Raph left the lair. 

Leatherhead was lying curled up in the nest like bed that he shared with Donny while Don worked on one of his many projects. When they finally came out to the family, it was to unconditional love and support. Leatherhead and Don started to share a room and Donny loved waking up every morning wrapped in Leatherhead’s arms. Don had no idea how Leatherhead managed to get to sleep when Raph and Leo were yelling at each other. 

Shutting off his computer, Don grabbed a book and curled up, leaning on Leatherhead to read. 

The hours passed. It was nothing new. Raph had the habit of staying out well past midnight, returning only because Splinter had requested that he not stay out so late. 

It was only a quarter past eleven when Donny’s shell-cell started to ring. He got up to answer his phone, thinking that it would be Raph telling him that he was staying at Casey’s for the night. “Yeah,” Don answered. 

“Help,” Raph’s voice come over the line in a whisper.

“Raph?” Donny felt a surge of panic and clicked on the tracker. “What’s going on?” He woke Leatherhead then rushed from his lab as he switched his phone to speaker, flagging Leo over as he did. 

Mikey and Splinter saw the panic on Donny’s face and rushed over to see what was going on as Leatherhead made his way out of the lab. 

“I was attacked,” Raph’s raspy voice was barely loud enough for them to hear so they all leaned in close. “Hun and his Dragons managed to…. I’m so tired and I can’t hide because they can follow the trail of blood.”

“Raph, whatever happens, keep your shell-cell on you so we can find you,” Donny instructed as they grabbed their gear and rushed from the lair. 

“I’m sorry,” Raph sobbed. It wasn’t often that they heard their brother cry and when he did it meant that he was under a lot of emotional stress. 

“Just keep moving,” Splinter said, keeping pace with his sons. 

“I can’t,” Raph said with a grunt. “I’m too hurt. I can hear them coming. I’m sorry, father. I’m sorry. I should have been a better son.”

“Raph, we’re on our way,” Leo shouted. “Just hang on.”

“They’re here,” Raph whispered then the line went dead. 

“Donatello?” Splinter pleaded. 

“I still have a signal,” Donny reassured them. “I just hope that he still has his cell.”

As they approached the signal they could hear Raph’s screams of pain followed by the laughter and cheers of men, long before they saw the building. They rushed in, without hesitation and the thugs scattered. Donny caught a glimpse of Hun, covered in blood, before he disappeared into the darkness. 

Ever since he was mutated into a turtle by the mutagen from the alternate universe, Hun had upped his game. Without the Shredder to rein him in, he was more ruthless and violent than before. He sold drugs and weapons made from Triceraton technology and his numbers have swollen from absorbing the members from all the other gangs. The former leaders of those gangs have yet to be found. 

There wasn’t much of a fight. The Purple Dragons fled so quickly that Donny was only able to get two hits in before he stood without an opponent. 

“Raphael!” Splinter gasped, dropping his stick and rushing to the middle of the room. 

Donny turned in time to see Mikey drop to his knees at the sight of their brother. Tears filled Leo’s eyes and Donny could see the anger behind them and the desire to hit someone. Leatherhead was next to Donny and placed his hand on Don’s carapace. Donny was afraid to look down; the wet sounds of his brother’s labored breathing making him fear the worst but at least, for the moment, he was alive. 

When he did look down, Donny couldn’t contain the cry that escaped him. Leatherhead pulled him close, fearing that he would collapse. 

Raph was in a pool of his own blood. His face was so swollen that his eyes could not be seen but it was apparent that the bridge of his beak was broken and that his jaw had been dislocated. Blood seeped from the left eye but Donny couldn't tell if it came from the eye socket or if there was a laceration on his face. 

Burns and cuts covered the bruised emerald skin. His shoulders looked out of socket and his fingers were broken. Two daggers were stuck on either side, just above the hip and piercing the bridge. He wasn’t sure if all of that happened before or after they had hobbled him by breaking his ankles. 

The worst part was when Donny looked at Raph’s tail. They had stuck one of his sai through the tip of his tail, pinning it down and stuck a bat into his cloaca and left them there. 

Splinter soothed him, kneeling down next to his head and placing his hand gently on top. “You are safe now, my son. Your family is here.” Donny doubted Raph could hear him; he had to have been in shock. 

Leo pulled out his shell-cell and Donny pulled out of Leatherhead’s arms to rush to Mikey’s side. He could see the trauma in his little brother’s eyes at seeing the strongest in their group broken and defiled. 

“Karai?” Leo said into his phone. “I’m sorry to call you so late but you offered a truce and I don’t know anyone else to call. We need your help. Hun… he attacked Raph and now Raph….” He had to stop in order to regain control. He was quiet for a while as he listened to Karai. “Raph’s hurt bad. Can you track this signal?” He fell silent again then managed to choke out, “Thank you.”

He turned to face his family, “She’s on her way. She said that her medical team is preparing for him now.”

“Can we trust her?” Donny asked, while he cradled Mikey in his lap. 

“Do we have a choice?” Leo said, fighting back his own tears. He pointed to Raph but spoke to Don, “Can you tend to injuries on this scale?”

Shaking his head, Donny choked out his answer, “No.”

Leo then turned to Leatherhead, “Do you think you can?”

“No,” Leatherhead answered. “I cannot.”

“So we get our help from Karai,” Leo said with his eyes fixed on Raph. “That or we watch him die.”

“Look what they did to him,” Mikey whimpered. “They stuck things in him. There’s so much blood.”

Mikey reached out for Raph but when Donny realized that he was reaching for the bat, he pulled Mikey’s hand back. “No, Mikey. Let the doctors remove it.”

“I don’t want Karai to see him with that in him,” Mikey cried, trying to pull his hand free. “He wouldn’t want her to see him with that in him.”

“You’ll cause more damage,” Donny said as he held tight to Mikey wrist. “If you pull it out, he’ll bleed more and he could die before he gets the help he needs.”

“Let me at least pull out the sai,” Mikey pleaded. 

“Settle down, Michelangelo,” Splinter’s voice was both soft yet firm. “I know you want to try to save your brother humiliation but doing so will kill him. Please, do not touch anything.”

Mikey relented and just sat there, sobbing in Donny’s arms. 

Somehow, Splinter managed to get Raph to settle down and his breathing leveled out. Every time Raph took in a gurgling breath, Donny feared it would be his last. It’s amazing how time seems to slow down when the life of a loved one was on the line. However, Karai and her team arrived at their location within ten minutes. 

As soon as she entered the building she stopped at stared at the horror in front of her. “Hun has truly become a monster,” her voice trembled as she spoke and she struggled to keep her composure. She looked at Leo, “We will do all that we can for him.”

Her Foot soldiers, a few mutants included, rushed from a van, the sight of Raph staggered them all but they collected their composure quickly. They surrounded Raph and assessed his injuries, placing a brace around his neck just in case. Another injected Raph then looked up to see the concern on Splinter’s face. “It’s just morphine,” the soldier informed him. “A lot of it, to help with the pain.”

It took six soldiers to lift Raph onto the gurney and they strapped him down then rushed him over to the van. They allowed Splinter to ride with them but the others had to ride with Karai. 

As they made their way to Foot headquarters, Leo called Casey and April. He kept his conversation with them short, leaving out the details but not sugar coating the truth either. He made sure that they prepared themselves for the worst. 

Once at the Foot headquarters, they were led to a room where they could wait while Raph was rushed in to surgery. As Karai turned to leave the room, Leo called after her, “Please, save my brother.”

She turned to look at him and there was sadness in her eyes that Donny had never seen before. “Dr. Chaplin will do all that he can.” They all knew that she was not going to make any promises beyond that. 

Casey and April showed up and together they waited for news. April sat down to comfort Mikey; he had been in a state of shock since seeing Raph. Casey sat off by himself, looking wan from the shock and fear of losing his best friend as he stared off at nothing. Splinter sat in a chair and meditated while Leo paced the room. Donny could only stare at the clock while leaning against Leatherhead. 

As the hours passed, Leo finally sat down and Mikey eventually fell asleep with his head on April’s lap. After about seven hours, Chaplin walked into the room carrying a thick file. “I brought you this, Donatello. I thought you would like a read out of all that we did.”

April woke Mikey up and they sat holding each other’s hands as they waited for the news. 

“How’s Raph,” Leo stood while Donny accepted the file. “Is he going to make it?”

“He’s stable,” Chaplin answered then struggled to find his voice. “But critical. We had to… cut down his plastron and open him up to repair the internal damage and there was… a lot…. We had to… remove some of his lower intestine; it was just too damaged from the… b… bat. I can’t… believe…” 

Chaplin stared off in shock for a moment. He was a scientist and a genius but, despite working for the foot, had probably seen nothing worse than a stab wound or broken bone. Even a dead body was easier to handle than seeing what was done to Raph. 

Chaplin took a deep breath, and then continued. “His heart stopped twice while we were working but it didn’t take much to get it started again. The best news is that, despite the damage to his face, the loss of an eye, and a mild concussion, he suffered no brain damage and most of the breaks were all clean and easily set so there should be little lingering effects, maybe some arthritis down the road. He will need extra support but it shouldn’t cripple him, too much. We have him in a medically induced coma so he can heal without being in pain. His body has suffered a lot of trauma…. It’s all in the file.”

“Thank you,” Splinter said as he reached out his hand. “Thank you for giving my son a fighting chance.”

“He’s not out of the woods yet,” Chaplin choked out, taking Splinter’s hand. “He could still suffer organ failure, develop a blood clot, or hemorrhage. He is being monitored but, for the most part, we’ve done all we can do at this point.”

“May I go sit with him,” Splinter pleaded. 

“Yeah,” Chaplin nodded. “I’ll take you to him. I warn you, it may be a bit overwhelming. He’s in a full body cast and his jaw is wired shut.”

“I understand,” Splinter nodded and Chaplin led him away. 

Donny sat reading the file. He figured that the reason the Purple Dragons had avoided damaging Raph’s head too much was because they wanted him conscious while they tortured him. And they did torture him. Despite himself, he imagined what they must have done to him. 

The injury that slowed him down and prevented him from being able to hide must have been one or both of the daggers in his sides. Once they found him they probably hit him in the face to knock him down then hobbled him to insure that he wouldn’t get away again but he couldn’t figure out why they chose to dislocate the joint as opposed to breaking them. Maybe they didn’t think about it and just did it. 

The rest of it could have come in any order. The violation, though, had to have been the hardest for Raph to endure. He knew his brother was going to be a different turtle after all that was done to him. 

After a few hours, Mikey insisted that April take him to the store. He wanted to get Raph what he was planning on buying him for Christmas. He wanted to get it before Raph woke up so it would be one of the first things he saw.

April agreed, not wanting to point out that it would be a long time before Raph woke up. She was willing to do anything Mikey needed to get thought his trauma. An hour later Mikey came running in with his gift for Raph. “Can I go see Raph now?”

“Sure,” Donny walked with Mikey and found someone to lead them to Raph’s room. When they entered the dimly lit room, Mikey broke down and cried for a moment before he was able to get himself back under control long enough to finish his task. 

He pulled the box out of the store bag and Donny could then see that it was a Princess Belle doll from the Animators’ Collection. 

Ever since they were kids, Raph had an affinity for princesses and in particular Belle from Beauty and the Beast because she was the one who had saved the prince from his curse. He believed, for a while, that they were princes cursed and that all they needed was for a princess, like Belle, to come and free them.

He collected things to give to her and learned all the things that a princess would like. He was determined to be the one to win her heart and break the curse. When Splinter told him the truth, Raph didn’t take it well. He never let go of the dream, even though he knew better. 

Mikey made quick work of the box and had the doll out so quickly that Donny didn’t have the heart to tell him that Raph probably would have preferred that it stayed in the box. Mikey positioned the doll on the table to the right of Raph since he was missing his left eye. 

Months passed and Raph’s body healed but he did not wake up. He lost the muscle that he had worked so hard to gain. Physical therapists came in to move his legs in order to prevent blood clots and to prevent the muscles from tightening. 

Mikey kept the doll in pristine condition, brushing her hair and keeping her free of dust to insure that she was beautiful when Raph did wake up. “It’s gonna be his first new doll,” Mikey said as he tended to her. “Not one from the trash that he has to fix up but one that is brand new.”

When Casey visited, he would turn the game on and watch it, sitting next to Raph. They hadn’t missed a game together in nearly two years, since the Turtles got back from the future, and Casey wasn’t about to break that record. 

Day in and day out they visited Raph, giving him comfort and encouragement. Then one day, while Donny was sitting next to the bed and reading to Raph, his eye opened. When he noticed, Donny felt so much joy that he started to cry. Raph still had a long way to go but he finally took the first step on the road to recovery.


	3. Breathe Again

Raph continued to improve over the months since he woke up. It had been nearly seven months since he was attacked and the Turtles have been staying at the Foot headquarters ever since. 

Leo watched as Raph went through his physical therapy, he had improved so much. When it first started, his brother’s struggle to walk was painful to watch and yet, inspiring at the same time. Raph could have given up but instead pushed himself. There was determination in his eye and Leo was sure that he planned on seeking out Hun as soon as he was physically able. 

Leo wasn’t going to kid himself. Raph was planning on killing Hun one day or die trying. Leo didn’t blame him and he knew that when that time came, he would be beside his brother, making sure Raph got the final blow.

But that was going to take some time. Raph’s once muscular body had dwindled down to a fraction of its former size though he had gained of it back. He started out suffering from equilibrium problems and headaches due to the loss of his left eye but has started to adapt. His face was no longer symmetrical as a result from all of the damage and when they managed to get him to smile, it was lopsided. 

His body was healed and he was improving every day but, though he was determined, he still showed signs of depression. The greatest sign was the fact that he hadn’t said a word since he woke up. The doctors say that there is no physical reason for it, he just refused to speak. Leo took it personally.

Donny fussed over Raph and, along with Leatherhead, worked with the physical therapists to learn all they needed so that they could tend to Raph once he was able to return home. 

Raph wanted nothing more than to be out of the Foot headquarters. Despite all they had done and continue to do for him, he did not trust them. He didn’t have to speak to make that clear. 

That’s what they were fighting about that night. Leo was talking to Karai about an alliance and Raph was against it. Raph wasn’t able to see that, with the Shredder finally gone, Karai was trying to do the right thing. She was trying to regain her honor.

Splinter walked up to stand beside Leo. “You seem troubled, my son.”

“I have a lot on my mind,” Leo nodded then looked over at his father. “Two of my brothers were hurt by our enemies because they went out alone. And not just hurt… but damaged in one way or another. Donny hasn’t been feeling well since his return, nearly nine months ago, and Raph….”

He let the words just hang in the air and die as his eyes drifted back over to watch his brother exercise. They watched him in silence for a while, Raph’s gentle grunts as he lifted weights was the only sound. 

“It seems to have gotten worse for us.” Leo’s eyes dropped to the ground and he felt a since of dread try to overwhelm him. He refused to give in to depression. “Our enemies are out to get us and I don’t know if we can stand up to them alone. There are so few of us already and we’re down two who can fight.

“Joining with Karai will help to keep us safe. At least, that’s what I want to believe. She has mutants in her ranks now, we won’t be alone. I just can’t force the others to do it. It has to be their choice. And what if Raph was right? What if we can’t trust them?”

“You weren’t kidding when you said you had a lot on your mind,” Splinter sighed. “I understand your struggles. I have faced them myself over the years. Is your enemy truly one who can now be an ally? But I fear that there is more still that is worrying you.”

“Guilt,” Leo admitted without making his father have to dig for it. “I have failed them. Each of them.”

“Nothing that had happened to your brothers was your fault,” Splinter insisted. 

“I knew that if I kept arguing with Raph that he would leave the lair,” Leo said. “I could have let the issue drop but I was still struggling with what had happened between me and Mikey so I took it out on Raph, knowingly pushing him until he left.”

“Talk to him.”

Leo shook his head, “He doesn’t talk.”

“You are the one who needs to do the talking.”

“I will try when his session is over,” Leo said but didn’t promise any more.

When Raph’s session was done, it was obvious that he was in pain. His body shook, his chest heaved and he was covered in sweat. Leatherhead led Raph to a chair and he sat down hard while Donny went over to get Raph’s bottle of pain pills and a glass of water. 

“I’m seeing a great deal of improvement,” Donny soothed as he handed over the pills. “You’re gaining weight and you were able to do a basic tree pose without falling over. It seems you’re starting to adjust to having just one eye.”

As Donny spoke, he held the cup out for Raph who dropped it the second Donny let go. “That’s my fault,” Donny said, picking the cup up. “I know your grip is still a little weak and I didn’t make sure you had a hold of the cup before letting go. I’ll get you some more.”

Raph waved him off and simply dry swallowed the pills. Leo managed a soft smile as he walked over, “Don’t fuss over him too much, Donny. You know he doesn’t like that.”

Raph looked up at Leo and managed a grunting laugh. 

“Come on,” Leo held his hand out. “I’ll walk you back to your room before the meds kick in. No one wants to lug your heavy ass around.”

Raph scoffed then swatted Leo’s hand away and stood on his own. Donny grabbed Raph’s walker but Leo held up his hand and shook his head. “Raph can manage.” Leo then stepped aside so that Raph could lead the way back to the room. “You’re strong enough.” 

Leo noticed Donny move to protest but Leatherhead stopped him with a hand on his shoulder. Raph, never being one to step down from a challenge, led the way and Leo followed. 

He was physically tired and his legs shook but he managed to make it to the room without Leo’s help. Collapsing on the bed the moment they entered the room, Raph let out a sigh of relief.

“Pushed yourself a little hard today,” Leo said as he helped Raph get situated in the bed. “I know you want to get out of here but if you do too much, you could set yourself back. You should have left yourself with enough to make it back to your room with ease. Don’t let what I say antagonize you. If you’re too tired then ask for help.”

Raph huffed in response.

“According to the doctors, you will be able to go home soon,” Leo said, sitting down on the bed. “It will still be a while before you can start going to the surface again. Splinter and I talked about it. We agreed that you should be off the pain pills first and that you shouldn’t go up to the surface alone. None of us should. We’re thinking of going out to the farm for a while so you won’t feel so trapped in the lair while you continue to recover. Casey’s mom’s out there and said it would be okay if we joined her.”

Leo realized that he was rambling and looked down at Raph, who had his face set in an unreadable mask. Leo sighed, “I hate that you’re not talking. You can be so hard to read sometimes.”

A few moments of awkward silence passed then Leo grabbed hold of Raph’s hand. “I’m sorry. You wouldn’t be here if I was a better leader.”

“I d….don’t b…blame you,” Raph mumbled. He voice was rough and his words slurred and stuttered a little. “I l…l…left. Y…You d…d…didn’t kick m…me out.”

Leo could see the frustration splayed across Raph’s face each time he stumbled over a word. He must have discovered at some point that he stuttered and, pride getting the better of him, stopped talking because of it.

It took a lot for Leo to contain his emotions in that moment. “Talk do Donny,” Leo pleaded, knowing that if he made a big deal about Raph talking then it would keep Raph from doing it again for a while. “He wants to hear your voice again and maybe he can help you… smooth your words out again.” 

Raph nodded and his eye was unfocused. Leo knew that Raph wasn’t going to be awake for much longer. “You get some sleep. I’m warning you though, when we get back to the lair, I’m not gonna let you make any more excuses. I want my best fighter back.”

A smug, lopsided smile spread across Raph’s beak. “B…est f…f…fighter, huh?”

“Don’t get too full of yourself,” Leo smiled, letting go of Raph’s hand and standing up. “I’m still better suited to lead. You’re too much of a meathead.” 

Raph let out a soft chuckle as the pain pill’s side effects kicked in. A high school marching band could have passed through, playing three different songs out of key, and Raph wouldn’t have been disturbed in the slightest. 

Leo left Raph and headed out to look for Mikey. As he walked down the corridor Leo passed one of the Foot soldiers who Shredder had mutated. Leo couldn’t help but wonder how the former human felt. Did he miss the freedom that he once had?

Mikey was in their set of rooms, playing videogames. Their relationship was strained for a brief period of time after they rescued Donny. It took a while for Leo to forgive himself for what had happened even though Mikey was never upset with him. 

There were times Leo felt that his brothers were too quick to forgive him and wondered how long it was going to take for their forgiveness to run dry. 

Hearing Raph’s voice helped to ease Leo’s guilt but he didn’t think that he would ever be able to get rid of it. He heaved a heavy sigh of relief that caught Mikey’s attention. 

“Hey, Leo,” Mikey paused his game and hopped over the back of the sofa to stand in front of Leo. “Everything okay? You look exhausted.”

“I’m doing better,” Leo nodded. “I’m emotionally drained.”

“Something happen?”

Leo felt his lip tremble as the tears started to fall. “Raph talked to me. He’s not mad at me.” Saying the words out loud brought on a since of relief that made Leo feel lighter. 

“I told you,” Mikey brought his hand up to thumb away Leo’s tears. “I knew Raph was just being a stubborn ass and not giving you the silent treatment.”

Caught up in the tender moment they leaned closer together but they both turned away before their lips touched. “I can’t do it,” Leo said. 

“I’m right there with you,” Mikey nodded, turning back to face Leo. “We’re as close as two can be without any kind of sexual interaction.”

Leo looked down at Mikey’s smiling face and felt his heart soar. They had grown closer and were as close as any lovers without actually being lovers. They shared a bed, confided in each other and would seek comfort in each other’s arms but, aside from the one time that was induced by Bishop’s drugs, they don’t take it any further. 

Leo often wondered if, one day, their need for intimacy would over power their sexual preferences. He could say with all certainty that an individual’s sexual preference was not a choice. If they were, he would already have Mikey as his lover.

“I wish I was a girl,” Mikey said, out of the blue.

Leo lifted an eye ridge. “What?”

“That would make things easier between us, if I was a girl who liked guys.”

“Wouldn’t be easier to wish we were gay?” Leo chuckled. 

Mikey shrugged, “I suppose. But you have to admit,” he said with a huge grin, “I would make an awesome girlfriend.”

This made Leo laugh outright and it took him a few minutes to calm down. Mikey didn’t take offense by it. He knew Leo’s laughter was genuine joy and not mocking of what Mikey had said. “I suppose you would.”

“I know Raph wished Donny was a girl,” Mikey added in sing song. 

“I’ve noticed that too,” Leo said, all humor dropping from him. 

Mikey noticed and smiled as he teased Leo, “You would prefer a lady Raphie. Maybe that’s why you are lacking motivation to get over the fact that you’re not gay. Raph’s the one you really want.”

“Shut up,” Leo flushed. “Why would I want a girl like Raph? He’s a jerk and contradicts me at every turn.” Leo turned on his heel and headed towards their room. “I’m going to meditate.”

As Leo closed the door he could hear Mikey calling after him. “Don’t worry,” he chuckled. “I won’t tell anyone.”


	4. Do Not Disturb

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> TMNT 100 Theme  
> Chapter 4  
> Do Not Disturb  
> Warning: M-Preg  
> Bishop’s reasons for abducting Donny start to become clearer but they can still only speculate.  
> I want to thank MomoRawrr for Donny’s nickname for Leatherhead.  
> The unnamed OC in this one belongs to SaphiraDragonHert she told me about it and I fell in love so I had to use it.

Raph’s room had two large, comfortable chairs in it where the Turtles and Splinter had spent their time sitting while they waited for him to wake up. Donny preferred the blue one over the green because it was suede and didn’t leave an imprint on his legs like the knitted fabric of the green one did. Raph currently occupied the blue one and Donny sat across from him, listening to the way Raph’s words were slurred and stuttered. 

Don mentally took notes, asking Raph questions just to get him to talk, not settling for one word answers. He was confident that Raph’s speech problems were only temporary and that the more he worked the muscles required to talk the better he would get. 

“You need to train yourself to do everything again, Raph.” Donny said as a matter of fact. “Just like you had to teach yourself to walk again, you need to teach your mouth how to form words again. You’ll be fine, so long as you keep at it.”

Raph nodded his understanding. He was leaning forward with his arms resting on his legs and his hands clasped together. He was tired from the rigorous workout he put himself through earlier that morning and the side effects of his pain medication. 

Donny shifted in his seat. There was a shooting pain in his back that had been bothering him for a few days. All he wanted to do was sleep but when he heard that Raph was willing to talk to him he pushed his own problems aside to help Raph. 

He rubbed his tired eyes, despite the fact that he had slept for ten hours and was grateful that at least he wasn’t nauseated. He needed to know his brother’s mental state before they left the Foot compound. If Raph needed psychological treatment, Donny was going to make sure that Raph got it. 

“Can I ask you something difficult?” Donny asked, leaning forward to grab Raph’s hands. He was going to talk to Raph about this one last thing then he was going back to his room for a nap, he promised himself. 

“Sure,” Raph shrugged and he unclasped his hands to grab hold of Donny’s. 

Donny looked Raph over while he readied himself for the conversation he was about to start. He could still see the wounds that caused each scar, the image of Raph in a pool of his own blood still vivid in Don’s mind. The deep scar down the center line of Raph’s plastron was a bitter reminder of what was needed to save his life. He was just glad that he was spared having to see his brother opened up like he was being dissected and studied. But he couldn’t stop his mind from imagining what it might have looked like. 

Donny swallowed hard and readied himself for the potential backlash. Raph’s emotions had been unpredictable as of late, which was to be expected. “What do you remember?” 

Raph’s eyes moved down and focused on his lap. He shrugged, “N… not m…uch.” He took a deep breath and Donny could see the distant look in his eye as he tried to recall that night. “I f…fought with L…Leo. I s…saw some D…Dragons and w…wanted to b…beat m…my anger into them. Th…there was more th…than I f…figured. 

“After I w…was stabbed on m…my left, I r…ran. S…someone w…was able to g…get my right as I r…ran past. T…the last th…ing I r…remember is Hun p…punching me in the f…face.”

“You don’t remember anything else?”

Raph shook his head and Donny felt somewhat relieved. Part of him hoped that Raph would never remember what had happened after that. Some things were best forgotten. 

“T…there are… s…scars in places t…that make me w…wonder though,” Raph admitted and his grip tightened, pulling Don from his thoughts. 

Donny felt his heart sink and he had to close his eyes while he sorted through his own emotions and thoughts. Raph had the right to know what happened to him but Donny wasn’t sure if he was ready to hear it yet. There was a reason his mind had blocked it out and knowing could set him back. 

“I will tell you anything you want to know,” Donny said as he struggled to keep his emotions in check. “However, I think you should wait.”

“Maybe you’re right but I need to know.” Keeping his eyes on his lap, Raph choked out, “Did Hun rape me?”

Though he expected the question, it was hard for Donny to hear. Raph knew that some of his intestines had been removed, because they were damaged, and he has had enough time to look over his own body. He had probably seen the damage to his tail and penis and came up with his own conclusion, which wasn’t too far off from the truth. 

Donny though out his reply carefully and Raph waited, without saying a word, though his grip on Donny’s hand continued to tighten. He could hear the stifled sobs that Raph was fighting to keep under control. The mind can often dream up worse scenarios than what was actually the truth, when left to its own devices.

So Donny decided to tell him, to end the torment. “Hun used an inanimate object to sodomize you. There is no evidence to suggest that he…, or any of the Purple Dragons, physically raped you.”

Raph took several deep breaths as he continued to fight to keep from losing control. “D…Does everyone k…know?”

“It doesn’t change how any of us see you,” Donny said, reaching up to thumb away the tears that fell down Raph’s cheek. “We are here if you wanna talk about it but please don’t let that be what breaks you.”

“I…’m gonna k…kill Hun,” Raph said through gritted teeth without looking up. “I’m n…not g…gonna d…draw it out, I’m j…just gonna k…kill him.”

“I believe you have the support of the whole family on that one,” Donny said, not hiding his own anger. 

Raph looked up and scanned Donny’s face, surprised that Donny hadn’t tried to talk him out of it. His eye darted back and forth as he processed what Donny had just said. 

As Raph’s expressing turned to one of relief, Donny managed to smile and nod. “That’s right. We all feel the same way as you do about Hun. None of us are going to ask that you let go of you desire for revenge.”

They all knew that desire gave him something to focus on and it drove him to get better, keeping him from falling into depression. Donny knew it was only a matter of time before it all caught up to Raph but until then they will encourage him. Even Splinter had said, though cryptically, that the world would be a better place with Hun gone. 

“Thank you,” Raph whispered. 

Donny stayed with Raph for several hours, helping him with his speech by talking through different problems. As they talked, it became harder for Donny to endure his own pain, though he refused to let it show. 

By the time Raph was ready for his pain pill and some sleep, Donny had difficulties moving his legs. It took all the strength he had to hide it from Raph as he helped his brother into bed. 

He managed to keep his composure as he walked back to the room he shared with Leatherhead. “I just need to lie down,” he told himself. “I’ve been under too much stress lately.” Much to his relief, the hallways were empty because he knew that if someone saw him, they would know something was wrong. 

When he got to his room, he headed straight for the bed and fell into it. Curling into a ball he tried to breathe into the pain but it was only intensifying. Lying down wasn’t helping and only seemed to make the pain worse so he got up and started pacing the room. 

Though he was still in a great deal of pain the walking seemed to help to alleviate it. His mind raced with possibilities and figured that he might have eaten something bad and that it was food poisoning. 

With that in mind he headed to the bathroom to splash some water on his face. When he saw his own reflection in the mirror he was shocked to see how awful he looked and decided that he should go see Doctor Chaplin. 

He turned off the water and reached for a towel then he was hit with a pain so intense that he dropped to his knees. Pressure built in his tail and he managed to pull himself up to sit on the toilet. “All of this over a bowel movement? What did I eat?”

He thought that maybe the Foot Clan couldn’t be trusted and that they had done something to him somehow. The only problem was that he couldn’t figure out why. 

He had never felt pain so intense before and he just wanted it to end. He pushed and felt his cloaca stretch before hearing a splash, followed by relief. He moved to stand but something was still inside his tail. Looking down to see what it was, he saw a great deal of blood and something that resembled a cord coming out of his cloaca. 

Confused, he managed to stand and, with great effort, turned himself around to look into the toilet. Time seemed to stop when his eyes fell on the creature that was in the water and was attached to the cord leading into his tail. How could something come from him?

His hands trembled as he reached down and pulled it out. Whatever it was, he was sure Bishop had put it in him but that didn’t mean that he was going to let it die. 

It was small, weighing no more than three pounds and if he was honest, looked like a baby dragon. “Come on,” he pleaded with it when it didn’t move. “Don’t be dead.”

He turned it over in his hand and gently patted its back. It whimpered and moved then its chest expanded with its first breath. Wailing cries followed and it started to squirm. For something that was so small it had a loud cry. 

Donny grabbed a towel and bundled the small creature then pulled it to his chest. He tried to tuck his tail and was reminded that the cord was still attached. He had a hard time wrapping his mind around what was going on and knew that he needed help if he was going to find some answers. 

The problem was he was tired. He barely had the strength to remain standing let alone walk out of the bathroom. Fortunately he didn’t have to. 

The door to the bathroom opened and Leatherhead entered in a panic as his eyes darted around the room. “What’s going on?”

“It seems that I had a baby,” Donny answered, still in shock. A wave washed over him and his eyes felt heavy as everything went black. The next thing he knew he was in Leatherhead’s arms as the large crocodile rushed down the halls. 

Donny was turned in a way that the baby was nestled on him and against Leatherhead’s chest so it was safe from falling. He just hoped that he didn’t drop it when he passed out. Just to make sure it was okay Donny looked down and saw a pair of ice blue eyes looking back at him. 

He couldn’t take his eyes off of it. It was so small and helpless. He decided right there that no matter what it was, he was going to raise it. 

Leatherhead carried Donny into the infirmary and called out for help. “Please. Something has happened.”

Doctor Chaplin rushed over, along with several other doctors and they all started to assess what had happened. Leatherhead was directed to place Donny on a bed and step back. Donny could see the reluctance in Leatherhead’s eyes as a group of doctors moved between them. 

One of the doctors reached down for the baby and Donny instinctively pulled it away. “I won’t hurt it,” the doctor soothed. “I need to check it to make sure it’s okay. I also need to cut the umbilical cord.”

“Whatever it is, it’s just a baby,” Donny insisted, looking the doctor in the eye. “Don’t you dare hurt it. You bring it back to me.”

“I will,” the doctor promised, reaching down and, this time, Donny let him take it. As soon as the baby was pulled from his arms it started to cry and Donny reached out to take it back but other doctors were there to prevent it. 

It was removed from the towel and the umbilical cord was tied off and cut. Another doctor had a blanket ready and wrapped the baby in it to keep it warm. One doctor commented on how the baby looked like a small dragon and another agreed. 

Donny wanted nothing more than to get out of the bed and take it from them. 

“I’ll run the test on it myself,” Chaplin promised as he attached an IV to Donny. “I also want to run some tests on you to make sure that you are okay. It isn’t natural for a turtle to give live birth.”

“It had to have been Bishop,” Leatherhead interjected, staying back but not leaving the room. “He did something to Donatello. He must have put that thing in him.”

“Whatever it is, it’s innocent.” Donny said again. He tried to stand when the baby was taken from the room. “Where are they taking it?”

Chaplin pushed Donny back down. “I don’t have the right kind of equipment to run the required tests on it in this room. It looks small. If it’s premature then it will need to be incubated. I swear to you, no harm will come to it.”

Donny regretted handing the baby over and started to feel panicked. He looked over at Leatherhead and pleaded, “Kroki….”

He didn’t need to say more. Leatherhead pressed past the surrounding doctors and placed a gentle kiss on Donny’s head before following after the doctors and the baby. Donny watched him leave and knew that no matter how Leatherhead was feeling about the baby he wasn’t going to let anything happen to it, for Donny’s sake. 

The need to push had Donny bearing down again and one of the other doctors was there to collect the placenta as it emerged. “I want that studied as well,” Chaplin ordered and the doctor nodded then placed the placenta in a container then took it from the room. 

After he connected Donny to machines, Chaplin moved to a supply closet and returned with a medical device that looked like a portable probe. “What’s that for?” Donny asked, even though he was sure he already knew the answer. 

“I want to see if I can find where the creature gestated inside of you,” Chaplin answered, confirming Donny’s suspicions. “All the data I collect will be stored on this device for your review later.”

With a slight nod, Donny parted his legs so that Chaplin had easier access to his tail. He wanted answers and he had to trust Chaplin to get them. 

With a push of a button the tip of the probe lit up. It was long and thin, made of a medical grade plastic with a long cord that attached to a small device with a display screen. Chaplin had an assistant coat the probe with a water based lubricant then he placed the tip just on the inside of Donny’s cloaca. 

“Let me know if you start to feel any discomfort,” he instructed, without looking up from the screen. Not waiting for Donny to respond, Chaplin eased the probe in deeper. “You’re penis is where it should be.”

Donny had to bite his tongue to keep from snapping back at Chaplin. He was well aware that his penis was still intact. He had used it on Leatherhead just a few nights ago, so not only was it all there but it still worked. 

Chaplin continued to explore the inside of Donny’s cloaca, moving the probe with a steady hand. “That’s interesting,” he mused. Donny watched Chaplin, waiting for him to further explain what it was that he had found so interesting. “It seems that there is an extra opening. The one further down, I am assuming, is your rectum. But this one here is not normal.”

Donny felt the probe go deeper and had to admit that there was something about it that didn’t feel right. 

“It’s not very deep,” Chaplin stated. “The path opens up into a sack of some sort.” He held the device up so Donny could see. “My guess is that it is something like a uterus.” He pulled the device back down to look at it. “I’m going to switch to ultrasound.”

It was a nifty little device indeed to be able to switch from camera to an ultrasound device. Ultrasound was useful to look at the organs past the ‘uterus’. Donny was fairly certain that he knew what Chaplin was looking for. If there was a uterus then there is a possibility of ovaries. 

“Your testicles are where they are supposed to be,” Chaplin mumbled while tilting the probe. He moved it around, studding the images on the screen in his hand. “I don’t see any ovaries.”

“Then it’s possible that the… ‘uterus’ was implanted in me simply to house the creature,” Donny concluded. “But why?”

Chaplin shrugged, “Maybe Bishop needed a living host for it.” He pulled the probe out and set it aside before covering Donny with a blanket. “We won’t know until we get the results back from the tests. Get some rest. I promise that I will wake you the moment I have some answers.”

Donny didn’t want to sleep. He wanted to be with the baby. The image of its blue eyes looking up at him was all he could think about and its cries echoed in his head. It was so small and he needed to know if it was alright. 

Even though he didn’t want to sleep, the exhaustion of delivery and the resulting shock had taken their toll. His eyes felt heavy and his attempts to keep them open failed. It was almost like the sandman was behind him, pushing his sleep magic through the back of his head. 

The next thing he knew, he was waking up to the gentle touch of Leatherhead’s hand on his brow. He looked up into his mate’s eyes and managed a soft smile. “Oh, Kroki, I had the strangest dream. I gave birth to a baby dragon.”

“It was no dream, my love,” Leatherhead whispered back, placing the bundled baby in Donny’s arms. As Donny looked down at the slumbering infant, Leatherhead nuzzled him and said, “Only she isn’t a dragon. She is our daughter.”

Mouth agape in disbelief, Donny looked up at Leatherhead. “Our? Daughter?”

Leatherhead nodded, “Yes. She is yours, mine, and Raphael’s.”

“How?” Donny looked back down at the baby. “How is that even possible?”

“We’re not one hundred percent sure,” Chaplin said, announcing that he was also in the room. Donny looked up and saw that Splinter, Leo, and Mikey were all in the room as well, waiting to hear what had happened. 

“My best guess is that, whatever it is that Agent Bishop had put inside you has the ability to take DNA and combine it into one creature. I think it is safe to assume that it is still functional so it would be wise to use precaution in the future.”

“Of course,” Donny nodded his understanding. It made sense. Bishop has been after the perfect soldier for centuries and the Turtles have proven themselves countless times against threats to Earth’s safety. If Chaplin’s hypothesis was correct, then it was safe to assume that Bishop had intended to breed Donny with his brothers to get that soldier and raise it to obey him. He probably had plans to breed Donny with his brothers like a puppy mill breeder treats his dogs, with one pregnancy after the next. 

“Does Raph know?” Donny looked around at everyone in the room. 

“He’s still asleep,” Mikey answered. 

“We figured you would want to be the one to tell him,” Leo added. “And that it would be easier for him to hear it from you, given the fact that we don’t really talk about what happened that day.”

“Yeah,” Donny nodded then shifted his daughter so he could get a better look at her. Now that she was clean he could see that her skin was close to his color only a slight shade bluer. He unwrapped the blanket and noticed that the scales down her chest and stomach were shell like but not a solid plastron. 

Sliding his finger between the blanket and her back he felt that the scales were the same as they were on her front, hard but not a solid shell. She had four fingers, like Leatherhead and three toes, both with sharp nails so Donny was already making plans to get her some mittens and socks.

Mikey walked up to Donny and looked down at the baby. “Can I hold her?”

“Sure,” Donny held her out so Mikey could take her. 

“To think that I could have been one of her dads,” Mikey mused out loud. “If we hadn’t separated….”

“You’re still going to be a major part of her life, Mikey,” Donny smiled up at him. 

“No, dude, you don’t understand. I am relieved. I’m too young to be a dad,”

Donny glared up at Mikey, “You’re still going to be a major part of her life.”

“Yeah, I’m gonna be the fun uncle with no other responsibilities than to make her laugh,” Mikey quipped. “I’m not changing any diapers. No sir.”

Donny chuckled and was relieved to see that his family was accepting of the new addition. He only hoped that Raph would be as receptive when he found out.


	5. Vacation

TMNT 100 Theme  
Chapter 5  
Vacation

Donny stood outside the door to Raph’s room, going over what it was he planned on saying. It wasn’t the kind of news that was easy to break. Leatherhead stood nearby so that he could watch the baby while Donny went in to break the news to Raph alone. 

The baby was in the typical bassinet, trolley that was used in hospitals. He looked down at her and watched her sleep as he thought. It was still hard for him to believe that she was real. She was so small, weighing in at just under three pounds. She was more length than anything else. Donny was sure that, with enough food, she would fill out nicely, doubling her weight in no time. 

He looked up at Leatherhead, who was waiting patiently while Donny collected his nerve. Taking a deep breath and letting it out slowly, Donny prepared himself to enter the room. He placed his hand on the handle, took one more steading breath, and then opened the door. 

Raph was moving around the room, packing his things. Chaplin had told him an hour earlier that he was being released and he was eager to go. He looked up when Donny entered but didn’t stop what he was doing. 

“We decided to go out to the farm,” Donny said, not quite ready to get to the point. He figured that a little bit of small talk would be best. 

“I’m f…fine with that,” Raph said as he stuffed his things into a bag. “B…basking sounds… nice.”

“It does,” Donny agreed. 

His heart pounded as his mind raced with what to say. He had no idea how Raph was going to react. The night of her conception was not something that they liked to talk about. 

After a while of wringing his hands together, Donny decided to just say it. “Bishop… changed me,” was all he was able to choke out before the look in Raph’s eye had his throat closing. 

Raph’s eye narrowed, “What?”

“He put something in me,” Donny tried to explain. “Something that takes my DNA and the DNA of anyone I have sex with and combines it into one… baby.”

Raph looked at Donny while his mind processed what it had just heard. The scowl changed to a look of confusion. “B…baby?”

“I had a baby,” Donny blurted and the words sounded strange coming from him. “She’s a mix of you, me, and Leatherhead but she looks more like Leatherhead.”

“She?” Raph sat down on the bed and his eye darted back and forth. “A baby? Why didn’t you tell me you were…?” He looked up at Donny, “W…Where?”

“She’s just outside,” Donny pointed to the door. “She was born a little after I left you, earlier today. I didn’t know that I was… well, pregnant until I saw her in the toilet. Do you wanna see her?”

Raph nodded and Donny felt a sense of relief wash over him. This was good. Raph didn’t seem to be mad. He looked to be in shock but that was expected. He stood up as Donny made his way to the door and waited by the bed for Donny to return. 

“He wants to see her,” Donny said to Leatherhead as he entered the hall. All of his fear was giving way to joy as he scooped her up in his arms. He looked up and saw a slight smile turn up the edges of Leatherhead’s mouth and smiled in return. 

When Donny walked back into the room he saw Raph, still waiting by the bed and smiled. “This is our daughter, SnjórEldur.” Donny glanced over to see that Leatherhead was waiting patiently just outside the door. He didn’t want to make things anymore awkward for Raph than they already were. 

Raph’s eye was on the bundle in Donny’s arms but when he heard her name it shot up to look at Donny. “What?”

“SnjórEldur,” Donny repeated. “It’s Icelandic, meaning Snow Fire.” He liked to study languages and Icelandic was the most recent one he was learning. He liked the way it sounded and it seemed to fit, given who her parents ware. Raph and Leatherhead both could be as cold as ice one moment then in a fiery rage the next. 

“I… c…can’t say that,” Raph complained some of that fire coming to life. 

“We can call her Snow for short,” Donny smiled. “You don’t ever have to attempt to call her by her full name.”

“I w…won’t,” Raph grunted, looking down at Snow. “I l…like the name Snow.”

“Good.” Donny placed her on the bed and undid the swaddle so Raph could get a good look at her. The sudden change in her environment had her complaining with a soft cry. Raph reached down and grabbed her before Donny had a chance to react. 

Don felt a rush of panic, “Be careful.”

Raph glared at him, “I w…won’t drop her.”

“Maybe you should sit down,” Donny insisted, reaching for Raph. 

Turning away from Donny, Raph grunted, “I’m f…fine.” 

“Okay,” Donny backed away but his nerves didn’t settle. “Why don’t you sit down and take some time to hold her and I’ll finish packing your things? No reason to stay standing.”

Sighing, Raph walked past Donny then made his way to sit down in the blue chair. He then propped his feet up in the green chair and placed Snow on his lap to get a good look at her. “She d…doesn’t l…look like m…me.”

“I told you that she looked more like Leatherhead,” Donny said as he checked inside a drawer. “His DNA dominated but the blood work shows that you are her parent too.”

Donny looked up and noticed a newly bought set of seven Disney Princess Barbie dolls, still in their packaging. He walked around the bed and picked it up off the floor to get a better look at it. “Is this what Casey bought you?”

When Casey had seen the doll Mikey had bought for Raph, he was confused. Donny had done his best to explain to Casey why it was Raph had an affinity towards princesses but it took Casey a while to wrap his mind around the idea. He couldn’t understand how Raph, out of all of them, could like something so ‘girly’. 

April, being the more sensible one, spent weeks explaining it to Casey. In time he learned to accept it and decided to show his support. When he told Donny that he was going to buy something for Raph, Donny wasn’t expecting something like that. A set of those dolls wasn’t cheap. 

“This is nice,” Donny smiled and set the box with the rest of Raph’s things. 

“At least h…he kept it in the b…box,” Raph quipped. 

“Mikey didn’t do a lot of thinking that day.” Donny walked over to stand next to Raph. “You’re not mad that Casey knows, are you?”

Raph shook his head, “No. He’s n…not giving m…me a hard… t…time about it.”

“Do you want me to make a quick trip to the lair to drop some of your things off?”

Again Raph shook his head. 

“Okay. I think we got everything,” Donny said, looking around the room. “You ready to go?” He bent down to collect Snow and when Raph hesitated, Donny placed his hand on his shoulder. “I promise, you will get to spend all the time you want with her out at the farm.”

Raph nodded and Donny reached down to take Snow. “I’ll get the others to carry your things out to the van.”

After another nod from Raph, Donny turned to leave. He smiled at Leatherhead when he exited the room and heaved a sigh of relief. “That went better than I thought.”

“He’s been handling everything well,” Leatherhead added and Donny detected concern in his voice. 

Donny nodded, “It will catch up to him soon enough.”

**

Karai supplied them with everything that they would need to take care of an infant, including a car seat. Donny fussed for the better part of an hour over the proper placement of the car seat. When he finally had it to where he was satisfied, they all loaded into the van for the nearly four hour drive out to the farm. 

It was a new van, yet another gift from Karai, that had seats and tented windows. It was a much better mode of transportation than what they had before, which was an empty supply van with no seats in the back. It was much safer for all of them as well, especially Snow. No one wanted her car seat sliding around in the back of a van. 

Raph sat next to Snow in the middle seat, alternating between watching her sleep and looking out the window. Mikey had managed to nab the seat on the other side of Snow while Donny was loading the rest of his things into the van. Mikey cooed and played with Snow for the long ride, keeping her happy. 

Mikey wanted to make a good show of loving her. He knew that it relieved Donny to no end to see his family take to the baby so quickly. They could have rejected her, viewed her as a danger and part of Bishop’s agenda. But instead they saw her as the innocent creature that she was. 

Casey drove with Master Splinter in the front passenger seat while Leo, Leatherhead, and Don sat in the far back seat. The van was equipped with a Blu-ray player so they had a movie going, but mostly for the noise. Mikey had his own movie surprise for later. 

The moment the van pulled up to the house, April and Casey’s mom came rushing out. “They are eager to see the baby,” Casey looked over his shoulder to warn them. “April was upset. She said that if she had known, she would have been the one to drive to New York to get you.”

“You mean they’re not running out to see me?” Mikey pretended to be hurt in an overly dramatic way. “I was her maid of honor. It’s because I’m no longer the cutest one…, thanks to Snow.”

Raph reached over and smacked the back of his head, “You w…were never the b…best looking one.”

Mikey couldn’t help but smile at seeing his brother acting like his usual self, despite all that had happened to him. Donny had told Mikey that Raph’s ‘normal’ mood wouldn’t last, that it was just a part of the grieving process and that he was in denial. 

Though he showed signs of anger, he had yet to fully enter into the next stage. 

Raph opened the door and stepped out of the van to receive his hug from April. Mikey started to unbuckle the straps around Snow but Donny shoved him to get his attention. “I’ll get her.”

“Fine,” Mikey groaned then opened the door to jump out. Sure, all he wanted was to hold Snow while everyone gushed over her so he could still be the center of attention. Donny didn’t have to be such a jerk about it. 

As Mikey rounded the van, Leo grabbed his arm. “Help get the things into the house.”

Mikey moaned, earning himself another swat. He didn’t know how much more abuse he could take. Not wanting to make many trips, Mikey loaded himself up with bags then trudged towards the house. Leatherhead saw what he was doing and relieved him of some of his burden. 

“I think we are going to be ignored for a while,” Leatherhead stated, looking back at the others fussing over Snow. 

Mikey looked back then rolled his eyes as he looked forward again, shaking his head. He looked up at his large friend, “Do you wanna go for a swim after we drop this stuff in the room and see how long it takes before they realize that we’re gone?”

“I like the sound of that,” Leatherhead replied. 

Leatherhead might have been Donny’s boyfriend but he was still Mikey’s friend. The two liked to hang out and Mikey enjoyed making Leatherhead laugh. 

They did just as Mikey suggested and dropped the bags in the middle of the room then ran back down stairs and out the door before anyone saw them. As they neared the river, Mikey picked up his pace and was running full speed by the time they reached its banks. 

Jumping high into the air, Mikey managed a flip before curling up to cannonball into the water. He landed carapace first to make the biggest splash then immediately regretted it. Though it was spring, the water was still cold and nearly stole his breath away. When he surfaced, he spat out water then flailed to get back to shore. 

“It’s still a little cold,” he chattered then flopped down on the warm grass. 

Leatherhead let out a deep chuckle and sat next to Mikey. “Then I guess it would be best if we simply bask for today.”

“I like the way to think,” Mikey said as he rubbed his arms in an attempt to get his blood moving again. 

“Will you be alright?” Leatherhead asked, placing his hand on Mikey’s carapace. 

Mikey nodded and scooted closer to Leatherhead, “Can I just lean against you for a while and steal some of your heat?”

Leatherhead wrapped his arm around Mikey, “Of course.” 

“You’re a great friend,” Mikey sighed and leaned against Leatherhead. 

After a while, they fell asleep as the sun warmed their bodies. Mikey loved it out at the farm where he could really cut loose. He didn’t have to be quiet and he could run in the open air in the middle of the day. He didn’t need his comics or video games to escape. Being out at the farm was an escape. 

A warm hand on his shoulder had Mikey opening his eyes. He sat up and stretched, realizing that the sun was almost down and there was a chill in the air. Looking up, he saw Leo and knew that he was going to get a stern talking to later about leaving the bags in the middle of the floor. 

“Took you long enough to realize that we were gone,” Mikey huffed then reached over to wake Leatherhead, something that had to be done delicately. The large croc seemed to be in peaceful slumber so the chances of him waking up angry was low. 

Leo sighed, “You’re not going to start acting jealous of the new baby are you Mikey?”

“Who, me?” Mikey acted surprised that Leo would even think of such a thing. “I like Snow. I just didn’t want to be there with everyone fussing over her.” Mikey flipped up to his feet, not an easy thing to do, given how cold his body was becoming. “I’m not jealous.”

“I didn’t want to hear all the cooing and high pitched squealing either,” Leatherhead said as he opened his eyes. “Is it out of their systems?”

“I think so,” Leo chuckled, helping Leatherhead stand. “April and Mrs. Jones are cooking dinner and Donny has a fire going in the fireplace. Let’s get you two back to the house so you can warm back up.”

“Give me a ride on your back,” Mikey whimpered, hopping up onto Leo’s carapace the moment he turned around. “I’m cold.” Wrapping his arms around Leo, Mikey moved in to snuggle Leo’s neck. “Then we can snuggle by the fire and you can whisper sweet nothings in my ear.”

Leo shrugged Mikey off, causing him to land on the hard ground with a thud. “You’re incorrigible.”

“No loving for you tonight then,” Mikey huffed as he got to his feet and made his way back to the house. 

Leatherhead tilted his head to the side and then looked at Leo, “Are you two…?”

“No,” Leo put an end to that train of thought. “We’re close but not that close. He’s just trying to get under my shell.”

Back at the house everyone was getting ready to sit down for dinner. Mikey snuck into the kitchen to grab a before dinner snack but Splinter was there and smacked Mikey’s hand, keeping him from grabbing a roll. “Go wash up. Your odor is offensive.”

“That’s because he jumped in the river,” Leatherhead informed them, poking his head into the kitchen. 

“I see,” Splinter nodded then turned to look at Leatherhead. “And did you jump into the river as well?”

“No,” Leatherhead shook his head. “It was too cold. I basked by the river with Michelangelo.”

“I suggest that you wash up before supper as well,” Splinter said flatly. “The two of you smell like you wallowed in filth.”

“Oh,” Leatherhead blushed. 

“Come on,” Mikey grabbed his hand. “We can shower together. I heard it’s more fun that way… nothing funny though. No matter how hard I try, I can’t swing that way.”

**

After dinner, Mikey pulled out his surprise movie for Raph and had Donny set it up so that they could watch it. They all gathered in the front room and scattered about. Raph and Mikey sat on the sofa with Mrs. Jones, Splinter got the old arm chair, Leo managed to get the rocking chair and the others had to make do with the floor. 

“What are w...we watching?” Raph asked as the Blu-ray loaded. 

“Only one of the biggest movies to come out of Disney in a long time!” Mikey declared. 

“We’re not watching Frozen are we?” Casey moaned. 

“Yep!” Mikey beamed. “Raph was out cold when it came out to the theaters and was in rehab when it came to Blu-ray. He missed all the hype. I figured it would be a great first day of freedom movie for him.” He turned to look at Raph and held up two fingers. “This has two princesses. Elsa might even beat out Belle for your favorite princess.”

“Just s...start the movie,” Raph said, shoving Mikey.

As they watched the movie Mikey could hear Raph occasionally chuckle or moan, depending on what was going on in the movie. When Let it Go came on Mikey knew it so well that he lip-synched to the song. He didn’t want to sing it out loud and ruin it for Raph. 

He was stopped about midway through when Leo nudged him. Mikey glared at Leo, he wasn’t doing anything to earn it. He was being quiet. Yeah, he was moving around, but still, it was well behaved for him. 

Leo then pointed to Raph, causing Mikey to turn and look in time to see Raph wipe away a tear. Mikey had read that the song tended to strike a chord with people who had suffered abuse. He really didn’t think it would apply to someone in Raph’s situation. 

When the song was over Raph looked around to see if anyone was looking at him and Mikey quickly turned his attention back to the movie. It was a good thing that he was sitting on Raph’s left or he would have been caught. 

When the movie ended, Mikey looked at Raph. “Well?”

“It was s...stupid,” Raph grunted then smiled. “But for s...some reason, I l...liked it.”

“I know right?” Mikey stood up. “It’s because you see some of me in Anna. I’m cute and I’ve got freckles,” he leaned in close to Raph, “and I love you unconditionally.”

“Dork,” Raph said, pushing Mikey aside as he stood up then made his way upstairs. “I’m g...gonna take my p...pain pill and g...go to bed.”

“Goodnight,” they all replied in a broken choirs.

“I know you love me too, Raph,” Mikey called after him and got a mumbled response. He looked over at Leo and smiled, “He loves me,” earning himself another hard shove.


	6. Solitude

TMNT 100 Theme  
Chapter 6  
Solitude

 

It took about a week of being out at the farm for Raphael to enter into the anger stage of the grieving process. He didn’t just get angry, he got violent. He would lash out anytime anyone came near him, it didn’t matter who it was. 

Though he wasn’t strong enough to really hurt any of them, they didn’t want to risk him hurting himself. He stayed out in the barn by himself, spending most of his time exercising. Leonardo would often go out to check on Raph, staying in the shadows to keep from being discovered. 

He worried about his brother and wanted to make sure that he was eating and didn’t hurt himself. He would watch Raph for hours while he dealt with his anger. Sometimes Raph would just sit and do nothing, others he would pace the room fuming. The hardest to watch was when he cried. It had been years since Leo had seen Raph cry. He had been told that Raph had cried a few years back when Leo was recovering from Shredder’s attack but Leo wasn’t awake to see that. 

When Raph took his pain pills and went to sleep, Leo would enter the barn to clean up and leave food and water. He would leave notes for Raph to find, he didn’t know if they helped but he needed Raph to know that he was there for him. 

Donny had said that it was hard to guess how long it would take for Raph to work his way through his anger. Everyone was different. He told Leo to listen for any form of bargaining like, ‘If I had only…’ or ‘I would do anything for….’

So far, the only things Leo heard were a slew of curse words. 

Leo walked back into the house, carrying the trash he had collected from the barn. After sorting the trash he washed his hands at the kitchen sink. When he turned around Mikey was standing directly behind him, causing Leo to flinch. 

“You’re getting good at that.”

“Or you’re starting to lose it,” Mikey teased back. 

Leo let out a sarcastic laugh. “I’ve had a lot on my mind.” He sidestepped past Mikey and headed out of the kitchen. He wasn’t in any kind of mood to deal with his antics at the moment. 

“You have Raph on your mind,” Mikey corrected, following Leo. They walked for a while in silence and Leo would look back every so often to see if his brother was still there. Mikey would simply grin at him and wave, annoying Leo even more. 

Mikey was right, Raph had been on Leo’s mind a lot. Leo just didn’t like for Mikey to point it out and if he knew his brother then Mikey wasn’t going to leave it at that. The intuitive turtle had the tendency of bringing things out into the open. 

Leo picked up his pace as he headed out of the house. Donny glanced up as the two turtles passed. Though he didn’t say anything, Leo knew what he was thinking. Donny was ready to back up Mikey in a heartbeat. They all knew Leo was troubled. 

Mikey had no problems keeping up with Leo, he was the fastest turtle after all. Even though Leo couldn’t out pace him, he was hoping that Mikey would get the clue and leave him alone. The problem was, Mikey wasn’t the type to let something go. 

They crossed the field and entered in to the surrounding forest. Despite the fact that he didn’t want to face his brother and that he knew what it was Mikey wanted, Leo rounded on Mikey, “What?”

“It’s not your fault, Leo,” Mikey said, keeping his distance. 

“You’ve been stocking me just to say that?” Leo scoffed and turned away. “I failed Raph.”

“Raph doesn’t blame you for what happened. Nobody does. Why are you still blaming yourself?”

“I shouldn’t have argued with him.” Leo answered. “He may not blame me, but I know that I pushed him until he left. I wanted him to leave.”

“That may be true but you didn’t beat him up.” Mikey walked up and placed his hands on Leo’s shoulders. “You guys fought, you always fight. Raph ran off, he always did that. We had no idea at that time, the lengths Hun would go to. How dangerous it’s become.”

“That’s our fault too,” Leo pulled away from Mikey. “I can’t believe I’m saying this but we were safer when the Shredder was around.”

“You know that’s not true,” Mikey argued. “He was trying to wipe us out. All of us. Every single Turtle in the multiverse. Talk to Donny about a future where Shredder lived. He still has nightmares about it. We’re better off with him dead and we will find a way to defeat Hun too. At least this time we have Karai on our side.”

“Karai.” Leo shook his head as he tried to keep his composure. “If only I hadn’t talked to Raph about teaming up with Karai that night.”

“So you’re in stage three of the acceptance process.”

“What?”

“You know,” Mikey shrugged. “Donny went over the process with us so we would know what to expect from Raph. You are in the bargaining phase, full of ‘if onlys’ and ‘I should’ves’.”

Leo couldn’t believe what he was hearing. “You think I’m going through the grieving process?”

“We all are,” Mikey said as a matter of fact. “In a way. It’s just affecting you and Raph more since you’re more directly involved. It took me a while to get over what I saw. It still makes my stomach churn when I think about it. There were times that I wish we had run faster, gotten there before Hun did all those awful things to him. Or maybe if I had gone out with him. It wouldn’t have been the first time I ran off after him. Maybe if I was with him, he wouldn’t have gotten hurt. But then I realized that, I didn’t do anything wrong and neither did you.”

“I didn’t know,” Leo said in a gruff voice as tears streamed down his cheeks. 

Mikey opened his arms, “You don’t have to go through this alone, Leo. You just gotta let it go.”

“Don’t you dare start singing,” Leo warned, looking Mikey in the eye. 

“Who? Me?” Mikey grinned. “I wasn’t even thinking about it.” When Leo lifted an eye ridge Mikey sighed. “Okay, I was… about to… start singing.”

With a slight chuckle Leo moved in to accept Mikey’s hug. The smaller turtle wrapped his arms around Leo and held him tight. It felt good and Leo started to feel a little better. Mikey had that effect on people. 

“It’s not your fault, Leo.”

“Thanks, Mikey.”

**

As Raph came out of his drug induced slumber he heard the soft foot falls of someone pacing back and forth. He suspected that it was Leo finally coming out of the shadows to confront him. Either that or he got a late start with cleaning. Whoever it was, he just wanted them to go away but then he heard the happy coo and knew it was Donny with Snow. 

Donny waited in silence as Raph came to. Snow was the only one making noise as she cooed and squeaked, at least she sounded happy. He hadn’t seen Snow in almost two months. Babies progressed quickly in the first year of life, or so he was told, so he wondered how much she had changed. 

It took a while for Raph’s mind and body to work together so that he could sit up. He felt numb. He hated it but it was better than the pain. “What do you want, Don?” Raph’s voice was still gruff from sleep and his words still slurred a little but at least he had worked through the stuttering. He would occasionally stumble over his words, especially when he was angry. 

“I thought you might want to see Snow,” Donny said, kneeling down in front of Raph. “She’s more than doubled in weight thanks to April and Mrs. Jones. They’re spoiling her.”

“The only reason you brought her was to keep me from yelling at you.”

Donny shrugged, “It worked.”

Raph grunted in response but didn’t say anything more. Donny scooted closer, angling Snow so Raph could see her better. She had plumped up and she was more alert. Her blue eyes stayed fixed on Donny as she cooed to get his attention. 

When Don looked down at her a smiled spread across her face and she squealed, her hands trembling in excitement. It didn’t take much to make her happy. She kept cooing as if she was trying to prompt Donny to say something to her. 

“I really did bring her so you could see her. Do you wanna hold her?” Donny offered. 

Raph nodded and Donny moved around so that he was sitting next to Raph. As he passed Snow over to Raph, her eyes sifted up to look up at him. He half expected her to cry at the sight of him. She held still while she studied his face with her mouth in the shape of an ‘O’. 

Bending his knees, Raph cradled her in his lap so he could look down at her. Raph smiled and she smiled back, her hand reaching up to touch his face. He moved his head forward so she could reach then kissed her tiny hand. 

It was warm enough that she didn’t need to be swaddled. The only things that she was wearing were a diaper and shirt. The diaper had to have been custom made by someone to accommodate her tail. It was cloth with a reusable plastic covering. Raph figured it would be easier than making a bunch of disposable diapers. 

Her chubby legs kicked and her arms flailed for no other reason than to move. She went back to cooing, this time trying to get Raph to talk to her. 

Though she looked nothing like him, Raph couldn’t help but melt for her. Donny said that she was his and Raph believed him. She was the only child he was ever going to have. It wasn’t like there was any chance of them having children before but Raph’s chances were less than his brothers due to the fact that the knives the Dragons rammed in Raph’s sides destroyed one testicle and preformed a vasectomy with the other. 

He was told that he was lucky that he still had the one. Being castrated on top of everything else would have been worse. ‘Try to focus on what is good instead of what is bad’, Splinter often told him. He was trying, it was easier before he remembered all that was bad. 

Having Snow there did help to ease his anger but he was contemplating pushing Donny out and keeping her for a while. At the same time he was debating on opening up to him. There were things that he wanted to talk about but opening up wasn’t one of Raph’s strong points. The only emotion he openly shared was his anger. In the end, he decided that he was ready to get it out.

“I’ve remembered more of what had happened,” Raph confessed, keeping his eyes on Snow. “I… remember all of it actually. At one point I heard Hun order them to leave my head alone so that I could remember everything. He wanted me to live.

“He said he was paying me back for mutating him and that he was going to break me. He wanted to hear me cry. I held back for as long as I could. When I didn’t give him what he wanted, he shoved that bat inside of me then started to move it around. He got what he wanted.”

“We heard your screams,” Donny’s voice was low. “If we had gotten there sooner, by just a few minutes.”

“Don’t you start,” Raph chided, looking over at Don. “You got there, that’s all that matters.”

They sat in silence for a while in order to get their emotions under control and Raph debated on if he wanted to continue. He trusted Donny and knew that he could confide in his brother. He just wasn’t sure if he wanted the answer to his question. 

“The bat damaged more than just my intestines.”

“I know.”

Raph took a deep breath then cleared his throat. “I don’t even know if it works.”

Donny pulled his knees up to his chest and rested his chin on them. “Have you tried…?”

“Yeah,” Raph nodded. “Once in the hospital. That’s how I discovered the damage. When I saw it, I lost the desire to.”

“Have you woken up with an erection?” Donny asked turning his head to look at Raph. 

Raph nodded. There had been a few mornings that he had woken up with an erection. The pale scars that littered the surface were a standing reminder of what had happened. 

Donny placed his hand on Raph’s shoulder, “If you can achieve an erection that is a good sign.” Sifting his position, Donny got up on his knees to retrieve Snow and placed her on the nearby pallet on the floor, where Raph usually slept. 

“Do you want me to look at it?” Donny offered. 

Raph looked up at the ceiling as he thought it over. Without a word, Raph parted his legs and dropped his tail. A turtle doesn’t need to be aroused in order for their penis to emerge. They tend to do it often in a display if dominance. So there was no effort, beyond overcoming his own nerves to show Donny his penis. 

“Is it alright if I touch it?” Donny asked. 

“Do what you gotta do.”

He felt Donny’s hand lift his penis so that he could examine the tip. Using his thumbs, Donny parted the petal like cap to expose the tender spikes inside. He dropped one thumb down to run it over the spikes, causing Raph to gasp, and he immediately moved his thumb away. 

“It looks like the damage was purely cosmetic.” Donny reassured him. “Judging by your reaction, I think it’s safe to assume that you can still achieve orgasm.”

Raph retracted his penis and tucked his tail, keeping his eyes fixed on the ceiling. “Thanks. I just don’t know if I’m gonna want to any time soon. Just the sight of it is enough to kill the mood.”

“Give it some more time,” Donny said as he stood and walked over to a wash basin to clean his hands of the sticky substance that helps lubricate the passage of the penis out of the tail. After drying his hands, Donny picked up Snow and sat next to Raph. “Are you okay?”

“I refuse to let Hun win,” Raph said. The small victory of making him scream was all Hun was going to get. Raph was not going to let what had happened break him. He was going to recover, get his strength back and go back to fighting the Purple Dragons. Above all else, Hun was going to die. 

Tears filled Raph’s eyes. “I’m not gonna let him win.”

His throat closed up on him and his chest felt heavy. Images of the attack flooded his mind accompanied by the sound of laughter. They had humiliated him and mutilated his body in an attempt to rob him of what little freedom and joy he had in life. He thought back to how much he had just wanted to die. 

“Why didn’t I just go to Casey’s that night?” he sobbed.


	7. Under the Rain

TMNT 100 Theme  
Chapter 7  
Under the Rain

Mikey ran through the downpour towards the barn. Lightning flashed overhead, followed by a loud boom of thunder, making the small turtle jump. Thunderstorms in New York were nothing compared to what they were in the country. Donny said it had something to do with the open fields allowing the clouds to get closer. 

Mikey didn’t care to know the science behind it. All he knew was that the storm was right on top of them and intensifying by the minute. 

As he rushed into the barn, Mikey hoped that Raph was awake. It would be an added level of difficulty if Raph was in a drug induced slumber. Mikey didn’t doubt his ability to lift his larger brother. It was just something he didn’t want to do. He could imagine Raph waking up halfway to the house and being all pissy about it. 

“Raph?” Mikey called out, wiping the water from his arms. “I know you don’t really want any visitors but this is really important.”

“What?” Raph called down from the loft. Good, at least he was awake. 

“There is a severe storm warning,” Mikey said as he walked over to stand under the loft door. “This mild drizzle that’s going on now will get worse. A lot worse. We gotta get to the storm cellar.” To emphasize his point the wind rattled the windows followed by another boom of thunder. 

“I can’t stay here?” Raph looked down at him.

Mikey shrugged, “If you don’t mind risking your life. I mean, it’s not like you wanna die…. Right?”

“I don’t wanna die, Mikey,” Raph replied, sounding a little annoyed as he disappeared over the edge. “Let me grab a few things.”

“Take your time,” Mikey quipped. “I’m sure the storm will wait.”

“You know what,” Raph said as he made his way down the ladder with a bag slung over his back. “I think you have used sarcasm so often you are unable to use any other form of communication. If this was such a big fucking deal, why did you wait so long to come and get me?”

They both paused and looked up as the barn groaned. The thunder popped and cracked before ending with a loud boom that Mikey could feel. 

“We only just got the warning,” Mikey explained, looking at Raph. “You don’t get a lot of time with these things. And I’m not always sarcastic. It’s a coping mechanism.”

“Yeah,” Raph sighed, hopping down from the last step. “We’ve all got a lot to cope with.”

There wasn’t a hint of sarcasm in Raph’s voice. Mikey wasn’t expecting that. Mouth agape, he watched Raph make his way towards the door. He was sure Raph was going to snap at him and it took him a moment to recover from the shock. “Thanks.”

Stopping to look back at Mikey, Raph lifted an eye ridge and tilted his head, “For what?”

Mikey shook his head and let out a sad chuckle. His hand came up to rub the back of his neck. “For not…. How can I put this…? For not saying that I have nothing to complain about or making my troubles seem insignificant compared to yours. You know…? For not making it into a competition.”

“I get it,” Raph nodded. “I know you’ve been struggling with a few things for a while now, long before this happened to me. I’m not the only one with problems and I’m not going to make light of yours.”

Struggling was an understatement. Their situation with being the only ones of their kind left Mikey feeling lonely. He would hide in the park at night to watch the couples as they strolled by, wishing he could have that kind of connection to someone. Then he would see the families and it would break his heart to know that he could never have that. 

He envied Donatello. True, what Bishop had done to him was horrible, but at least he has little Snow to make up for it. Then there was Donny’s relationship with Leatherhead. 

After learning about Donny and Leatherhead, Michelangelo tried to get a relationship started with each of his brothers but none of them connected beyond platonic. Raphael understood what Mikey was going through. To be honest, he was going through the same thing, more or less. They all wanted the one thing that they knew they could never have; someone to love and a family. When they died, that would be it. 

Mikey snorted, unsure how to respond to Raph. It wasn’t like Raph to be so understanding when he had his own set of problems. “Who are you and what happened to my brother?”

“He got the shit beat out of him.” Raph turned and continued on his way out of the barn. 

“There you are,” Mikey said as he followed. 

Raph pushed the door open just as a flash of lightning lit up the sky followed by earth shaking thunder. Mikey screamed and grabbed hold of Raph. He never liked storms. Maybe it had something to do with the fact that their home used to flood all the time when it stormed. The fear of drowning was a silly thing for a turtle to have but Mikey had experienced strong undertows and nearly drowned enough times to feel justified in it. 

The winds had picked up in the short period of time they were in the barn. Fortunately the storm cellar wasn’t far away and Leo was standing by, waiting for them. Mikey wasn’t too fond of the idea of going underground. What if there was flooding and the house fell on the cellar door, trapping them inside? He had to stop watching disaster movies. Like that was going to happen. 

Raph grabbed hold of Mikey’s hand and ran from the barn, pulling Mikey behind him. The cold rain stung Mikey’s flesh and seemed to be raining sideways. As they approached, Leo yelled something but the wind carried it away. 

They entered the cellar and Leo closed the door behind them, locking it against the storm. “What the hell took you so long?”

“I was up in the loft,” Raph shot back. “I had just woken up. I’m still a little groggy.”

Casey moved up beside Raph and placed his hand on Raph’s shoulder. He started to say something but he ended up flinching and cursing as Raph turned to look at him. “You gotta do that thing with your eyes? It freaks me out. You look like zombies when you do that.”

“What?” Raph looked up at his friend in confusion and then it dawned on him. “It’s raining hard and we had to protect our eyes. So it suddenly freaks you out despite the fact that when you met me my membranes were closed. You’ve just been watching too much of The Walking Dead.” Shaking his head, Raph looked away. “Besides, we both know it’s not the membrane alone that freaks you out. It’s that coupled with the way I look that reminds you of zombies.”

“I never said that,” Casey grabbed Raph and forced him to turn. “You know as well as I do that you were always ugly. I barely notice any change.”

Mikey’s heart was in his throat and they all waited in silence for Raph reaction. Was Raph ready for something like that? A year ago, a comment like that would have had Raph laughing and he would have cracked a joke back at Casey. But now?

Dropping his bag, Raph scoffed and swatted Casey’s hand away. “Look in a mirror lately? Your face could frighten children. You don’t gotta dress up for Halloween.” He looked around at everyone looking at him. “You all can stop staring. The scars don’t bother me. Who do I got to impress anyway? Snow ain’t afraid of me, so I’m good.”

He walked over and sat in the corner, pulling his legs up to his chest. 

“There’s still something bothering you though, Raph,” Leo pressed, sitting across from Raph. “If there is anything you want to get off your chest, you might as well do it now. We’re gonna be here a while.”

Raph sighed, “I don’t wanna be stuck in the lair all the time.”

“You’re not,” Donny said as he bounced Snow in his arms. She had been crying the whole time with her hands covering her ear slits. The pressure in the room had changed so it was the likely reason for her discomfort. “We have the tunnel to April’s apartment and we can come here every summer. Don’t make assumptions about the future. There is a possibility that you will be able to get yourself back to fighting form. Even if you can’t, you won’t be kept a prisoner in the lair.”

“The only thing I require,” Splinter interjected, “is that you heal enough so that you no longer need the pain medication. I do not want your mind in a fog when you are out of the lair.”

“Thanks to the mutagen in our system,” Donny said, “you are healing quickly and better than I had originally thought you would. I give it a few more months and you should be able to go out again.”

“But none of us will go out alone,” Leo added, having to yell to be heard over the rain as it intensified. “We go out in at least pairs. We cannot conduct ourselves the way we used to. Hun and Bishop have stepped up their game.”

All other conversation was stopped due to the howling wind. Even little Snow’s cries were drowned out by the storm. April pressed into Casey’s arms and Leatherhead curled around Donatello. Mikey couldn’t help the swell of envy that overcame him. He wanted that kind of connection. He looked over at Leo then to Raph, finally deciding to simply wrap his arms around himself. 

Mikey sighed. He could feel their brief fling with freedom recoiling back on them to make their lives worse. They got themselves involved in too many things and made too many enemies. Their life was dangerous before but it had been elevated to deadly. It seemed like they had more freedoms when they were children. 

Leo liked his morning runs through the city, right before sunrise. It was a chance for him to be alone and clear his mind. He would have to have someone go with him if he ever wanted to do it again but that kind of defeated the purpose. 

Donny liked to tinker with his projects at all hours of the day and night and enjoyed the freedom to go to the dump whenever he needed anything. The new restrictions were going to set him back do to the fact that he wasn’t the type to wake someone up so that he would have someone to go with him. 

Raph wouldn’t be able to go out for a joy ride or run out of the lair whenever he was upset. Fortunately he had his room that he used to store all of his trinkets. Mikey had only managed a peek into the forbidden room. It was full of all the things Raph had collected over the years, dolls, dresses and jewelry. 

Then there was Mikey. He loved to go out on his own as much as any of his brothers. He had discovered the wonderful world of Furries and frequented the conventions. He would show up naked and everyone there thought that he had an awesome costume, mostly since he spoke with his mouth closed. And Raph thought that Mikey’s interest in ventriloquism was a pointless waste of time. 

But all of that was over, for now. At least until they were able to get things back under control, if they ever could. No matter how much Mikey wanted a normal life, they were mutants, and it just wasn’t in the cards for them. 

Like most hard storms, the one over the farm didn’t last long and was soon down to a light drizzle. Mikey’s ears were ringing as the noise faded to silence. 

Leo made his way up the stairs to open the cellar doors. As Leo reached up to unlock them, Raph declared, “I’m ready to go home.” He was still sitting with his legs pulled up to his chest and his arms wrapped around them. His eye was staring off at nothing. 

Leo stopped and turned to look at him. “Are you sure?”

With a slight nod, Raph answered without looking up, “I’m ready to get back to training. I wanna go home. And when we do, there is someone I need to visit.”

“Who?” Splinter asked in such a way, it was clear that Raph was expected to answer. 

“There’s this old blind lady I visit,” Raph said, looking at Splinter. “I met her years ago, after the Triceratons attacked.” He looked up at Mikey. “She’s the one I gave all that money to. I help her out around her place. She’s probably worried about me by now.”

“I’ll go with you,” Mikey offered, interested in meeting this old woman. 

“I’ll go as well,” Leo said. “As soon as we get back to New York. We’ll make this one exception but after that, you are not going out until you are off the pain pills. Understand?”

“Yeah,” Raph agreed. “I don’t think I need them anymore, anyway.”

“Good,” Donny smiled. “That’s a good sign.”

Leo turned back to the door, “Let’s see if the house is still standing.” He pushed the doors open and was met with a light drizzle. Climbing the remaining steps, Leo looked around. “It’s a good thing Mikey went to get Raph out of the barn.” He ducked down so he could look back down in the cellar. “Two walls fell. I don’t think it will take much to get the other two down as well. On the plus side, the house looks to be in good condition. There are a few shingles in the yard but that is easily fixed.”

“You take the guys back to New York,” Casey said to April. “Ma and I will fix up the farm.”

“We can stay for that,” Raph argued. “No need for you and your mom to do it all on your own.”

“You don’t have to.”

“We’ll help clean up. We’re not gonna build you a new barn or nothing but at least we can help pull the old one down and patch the roof.”

“Anyone object?” Leo looked around at the others. When no one said anything, Leo nodded. “Alright then. We’ll stay to help clean up before we head back to New York.”

Raph got up and grabbed his bag from the floor then headed for the door. Mikey rushed up next to him. “I guess this means that you’re gonna be staying in the house with us.”

Raph chuckled, “I guess so.”

“I’m glad you’re doing better, Raph.”

“Yeah.” Raph climbed up the stairs in into the rain. “I’m getting there.” He stepped out into the open field and lifted his head to let the rain wash over his face. His eye was open but his membrane was closed, protecting it. 

Mikey stood watching him. Casey was right. The membrane, coupled with the scars, did add a death like look to Raph. But the rise and fall of his chest told Mikey that his brother was very much alive. Mikey walked over and grabbed Raph’s hand, pulling his attention back down to earth. “Will you sleep next to me tonight?”

“Yeah,” Raph answered and kissed the top of Mikey’s head. “I will.”

Their moment was shattered when a flash of lightning tore across the sky. Mikey pulled away from Raph and bolted for the house as fast as his legs could carry him.


	8. Drive

TMNT 100 Theme  
Chapter #8  
Drive

 

Knocking the rest of the barn down was easy enough to do. Donny used a grapping hook and a well-aimed throw from a safe distance to get a rope to one of the still standing walls. He took the other end of the rope and tied it to the truck. When everyone was clear, Casey eased the truck forward, pulling the wall down. As that wall fell, the others weren’t far behind and the fallen structure was safe to approach. 

They sorted through the wood and building materials to see if any of it was salvageable. It wouldn’t be used to build a new barn, it was no longer sturdy enough, but it could be used to build furniture and the rest could be used as firewood. 

The damage to the house, beyond the lost shingles, was minimal. One window was broken and the room was soaked but it wasn’t too bad. Mrs. Jones hung what she could out to dry and Casey drove into town to buy a replacement window. 

Even though everyone told Raph that he could take it easy, he insisted on helping. He climbed up on the roof with Casey and helped replace the lost shingles. Leo could see how much Raph’s body hurt him, how his aim was still a little off, and how tired he would become, but Raph pushed through it. He was determined and Leo had to admit that it lifted his spirits to see it. 

They stayed out at the farm for another week to help with the cleanup and repairs. When Cid showed up to help with the barn, he told them that he had some friends coming to help. That was the cue for the Turtles to leave. 

April drove them back to New York, entering the city just after night fall. Raph had told her where to go and she drove them to visit Raph’s friend, Mrs. Morrison first. April parked as close as she could get and the four Turtles and Splinter hopped out. April opted to wait in the van with Leatherhead and Snow. 

Raph did a special knock on the door then waited. Lights came on and the door opened. “Raphael? Where have you been? I was so worried.”

“I got hurt Mrs. M,” Raph replied and moved in for a hug. “It was bad but I’m okay now.” Leo panicked for a moment and then realized that Raph had been coming to see this woman for a few years. She had to have known that he was a mutant turtle by now. 

When Raph pulled away, Mrs. Morrison’s hands drifted up to his face. “Oh, sweetie. Come inside. I’ll make us some tea and you can tell me what happened.”

“My family’s here,” Raph said, reaching up to grab her hands. Holding on to her with one hand, Raph reached out and took a hold of Splinter’s with the other. “This is my father.”

“Pleased to finally get to meet you,” she smiled, shaking Splinter’s hand. “Please, come in and have a seat.”

“The pleasure is mine,” Splinter replied before entering her home. 

One by one Raph pulled them all forward to introduce them before they walked inside. From the look on Mrs. Morrison’s face, Leo could tell that she knew who each of them were. It left him to wonder what Raph had told her about them. 

Mikey immediately gravitated towards Mrs. Morrison’s cat while the others found a place to sit. They allowed Raph a few minutes to talk with her, their hands remaining clasped together the whole time. Every so often, Mrs. Morrison’s hand would come up to touch Raph’s face and not once did Raph flinch at her touch. In fact, he tended to lean into it. 

Leo placed his hand on Raph’s shoulder, “We don’t want to keep April waiting for too long.”

“Okay,” Raph nodded and then said his goodbyes. Leo could see how much Raph had grown to love the old woman and how much she loved him in return. It was almost like Raph was keeping a secret grandmother from them for all this time and Leo was a little jealous of it. 

They piled back into the van and April drove them to her place. Donny had secured the tunnels leading from her place to the lair and it would be the safest route for them to get back home. April didn’t stay long, choosing to head back to the farm so she could be there to help with the cleanup. She only stayed long enough to let them in and then locked up behind them. 

It was always the same whenever they were gone from the sewers for an extended period of time. The smell took some getting used to. 

Leo had lost count the number of times they had to start over. After the near destruction of the reservoir pump station by the Foot and Hun, the Turtles had to find yet another place to call home. 

They managed to find an old subway station from the early nineteen hundreds, complete with a rundown subway train. The station was large and looked like was meant to be more than just a place to get on and off the train, with a few retail areas. It had the beautiful architecture and lighting fixtures that were usually sought out in that time and even a mosaic but the station was also incomplete. 

Leo remembered how Donatello had worked himself ragged putting up security in the new place while the rest of them worked to clean it out. Donny had hacked the city database and did his best to wipe clean any record of the place ever being built. He said it had been a big endeavor taken on by a business man who bit off more than he could chew. It had been pretty much forgotten. 

Then they spent the better part of a month sealing it off and adding hidden entryways. Fortunately for them, the entryway from the streets had been knocked down and filled in long ago. Toilets were removed from the restrooms and showers were installed. Donny had even managed to get a hot tub that he had found at the dump working again. 

One train car was converted into a kitchen and the one next to it was made into a dining room. The retail spaces were converted into bedrooms and the ancillary spaces were gutted and converted into a new lab for Donny and a living room on the higher levels, and a dojo with Splinter’s room on the lower one. 

They had barely had time to enjoy the fruits of their labor before Raph got hurt. Since they had decided to stay at the Foot headquarters while Raph healed, the new lair had remained unoccupied for nearly a year, though Donny and Leatherhead did frequent it from time to time.

As soon as they entered the lair, Donatello headed straight for his lab, mumbling something about getting back to a project he had been working on. The rest of the words that followed were technical jargon that Leonardo didn’t understand. Leatherhead followed, carrying Snow in his arms. 

Leo’s eyes fell on the unused train car. Maybe if they started working on it they would be able to convert it in to a small room for Snow before her first birthday. It would be far away from Donny and Leatherhead’s room, which was in the lab, but close to the other bed rooms. He would have to swing the idea by Donny later. 

Raph went into his collection room which was right next to his bed room. Leo had an idea of what was in Raph’s collection but he had never actually been in the room. He knew it was full of things fit to give a princess, something Raph had started when they were kids, back when he believed they were cursed. A lot of the things he had collected had been lost over the years but any time they had to move he would go back and managed to salvage a few items. It was sad knowing that he would never find anyone to give them to. 

Leo headed to his room to meditate, ready to find his routine again. The door was open and, when Leo entered he found Mikey sitting on his bed. His blue eyes locked on to Leo and he pleaded, “Can I sleep in here with you tonight?”

“Sure,” Leo answered, closing the door behind him. He didn’t really want to be alone anyway. 

The next morning Don was late for training so Leo was sent to get him. He headed up the ornate stairs to Donny’s lab. The reinforced steel doors were closed but when Leo tested the handle, it was unlocked. 

“Don?” Leo called out but kept his voice low. He didn’t want to wake Snow if she was asleep. 

“In a minute,” Don answered. 

Leo sighed. He hated having to put his foot down with any of his brothers, particularly with Don. He knew Don worked hard to keep them safe but he couldn’t use it as an excuse to fall behind in his training, especially not with how dangerous New York had become. 

“No, Donny,” Leo said as he made his way to the back. “You’re fifteen minutes late as it is.”

Donny was sitting at his desk. All three computer monitors were on with multiple windows open on each. Whatever Don was working on, Leo couldn’t decipher it. “Late?” Don turned to look at Leo. “It’s morning?”

With a heavy sigh, Leo’s hand came up to pinch the bridge of his beak. “Did you sleep?”

“I did for a bit, yes,” Donny answered as he stood up. “Snow woke us up at some point for her nighttime feeding. While I was feeding her, I figured something out. After I put her back in her bed I went to work.”

Leo looked around the room, “Where are Snow and Leatherhead?”

Donny shrugged, “She woke up again a little while ago. Leatherhead took her to get something to eat and some tummy time. They’re probably in the living room by now.”

“And you should be in the dojo,” Leo added, crossing his arms. “What are you working on anyway?”

“Um…,” Donny hit a button that closed all the windows. “Nothing.”

“Nothing?”

Walking around Leo, Donny made his way out of the lab, “We’re late for training, right? Better get going.”

“Right….” Leo watched Don rush from the lab. What could he be working on that would distract him so much but that he didn’t want to talk about? He was usually open about his projects, answering any questions with longwinded answers that made the one making the inquiry regret they ever did. Was it personal, a surprise, or was it something that he knew he shouldn’t be doing?”

After one last look around Don’s lab, Leo made his way out and down to the dojo. By the time Leo entered, Splinter was finishing up a lecture on how Donatello should keep better track of his time. “If you let yourself get too exhausted, you will start to make mistakes. And mistakes in our lives can have disastrous results.”

“I understand, Master Splinter,” Donny said, keeping his head down as he remained kneeling on the floor. 

Splinter glanced up at Leo then nodded to Donny. “Let us begin.”

They started with their usual warm ups of yoga and simple katas then moved on to more complex sequences. For the first time in months, Raph joined them and managed to keep pace though he was sweating and grunting much more than the others. 

Leonardo had already spoken to Splinter before training and had volunteered to be the one to spar with Raphael. Donatello and Michelangelo would go too easy on him, only managing to enrage Raph by damaging his ego. Leo was going to take the opportunity to help Raph improve by striking at his weaknesses. He knew it could backfire but he was willing to risk it.

Raph was there to help Leo back when he was recovering from Shredder’s attack. No matter what, he was determined to repay Raph for it. What Leo had suffered at the hands of the Foot may not have been as bad as what had happened to Raph but he understood best what Raph was going through. 

Raph had spent the time he was alone in the barn trying to recoup some of his lost muscle mass. There was some improvement but he was nowhere near where he was before. He was still weak compared to his brothers. As he was, he would probably be able to take out a common street thug using skill alone. However, there was no way he would be able to hold his own against a trained fighter. 

He no longer had the strength or endurance that he used to have and it showed. 

When they finished with their katas, Splinter had Raph and Leo sit off to the side and instructed Donny to spar with Mikey. It was apparent that Donny was sleep deprived in the way he fought and the openings that he left for Mikey. After his fourth time of landing on his face, Splinter called a halt to their match. 

“Maybe tonight, you will make sure you get adequate sleep,” Splinter chided as Donny pulled himself up off the floor. 

“I think I will nap after training,” Donny stated with a stifled yawn as he moved over to kneel. 

Leo and Raph were up next to spar. It was clear that the brief rest was beneficial to Raph and he looked eager to fight. They stood facing each other. It was decided that Raph would be eased back into fighting and would start out in simple hand to hand combat. 

Standing with his hands up and balled into fists, Raph took his stance while Leo kept his hands down to his sides. They waited for the signal to start. “Begin,” Splinter ordered and Raph lunged. He was stiff from months without fighting, his body wasn’t moving the way he wanted it to and his frustration showed. 

Leo could see the determination in Raph’s eye. He didn’t want to be the weakest fighter or for his brothers to feel the need to protect him. He wanted his role back as the protector, the muscle, the tank. But he wasn’t. Not yet anyway. Leo had no doubt that Raph could recover, stronger than ever but he was far from it. 

Leo evaded Raph’s attack with a step to the right and into Raph’s blind spot. Raph hadn’t had the chance to adjust his fighting technique for the loss of his left eye. Leo was going to push him until he learned how. He refused to mollycoddle his brother in this. Their ability to fight was their way to survival. If Raph couldn’t fight, no matter how hard they tried to protect him, he would not survive. 

Leo landed a punch on the sensitive bridge of Raph left side, just above the scar. He could have hit the injured spot but he made his point and Raph knew it. 

Raph dropped down to try to sweep Leo’s legs out from under him. A simple backflip got Leo out of range and to safety. As soon as he was back on his feet, Leo shifted his weight and lunged at Raph just as his brother was standing back up. 

“Take it easy, Leo,” Donny pleaded from the sidelines and it ignited an unexpected fire in Raph. Instead of trying to dodge Leo’s attack, Raph turned to meet Leo head on. Raph needed to show them that he was still strong. Leo needed to show him that he wasn’t.

Leo didn’t hold back. It wouldn’t help Raph to let him win. He still wasn’t ready to leave the lair and Leo wasn’t going to let him believe that he was. As much as it pained him to do it, Leo collided with Raph. Raph managed to take the blow and they locked hands. They grappled for a moment but it didn’t take long for Leo to throw Raph to the ground. 

Raph got up, springing into Leo from below. He had put a lot of force into the blow, but it didn’t knock Leo down. Grabbing hold of Raph, Leo shifted his weight and, using Raph’s momentum against him, threw Raph to the ground again. 

Out of desperation, Raph struck. Leo evaded it then countered it, sending Raph to the floor once more. 

“That’s enough, Leo,” Donny cried out. Leo chanced a glance at his brothers. Mikey was glaring at him, his bottom lip quivering and his eyes were wet with unshed tears. Donny looked ready to attack and probably would have if it weren’t for Splinter, whose hand was on his shoulder, holding him down. 

Raph pulled himself off the ground. His body shook and his chest heaved. Leo stood ready for another attack. Raph glanced over at him then looked away. Was that a tear? 

“Thanks, Leo,” Raph said, wiping the back of his hand across his beak and checking it for blood. “For not holding back.”

Leo dropped his stance. “I knew you would appreciate it.”

“Yeah.” Raph took a deep, staggering breath. “I will beat you one day.”

“I know you will.”

They didn’t move for a moment then they turned face each other once again. It was embedded in them. It didn’t end until Splinter said it did. “That’s enough,” Splinter said softly. It was masked but Leo could hear the pain in his father’s voice. “You are all dismissed.”

Mikey was on his feet in and instant. He pushed past Leo to get to Raph and grabbed his hand. “Let’s go soak in the hot tub. It will do you some good.”

“Sure, Mikey,” Raph mumbled and let himself be pulled away. As they passed, Raph looked up and gave Leo and slight smile to let him know that he was okay. Leo let out the breath that he didn’t realize he had been holding, relieved to know that he had made the right decision. 

As soon as they were gone Donny stood, “Did you have to be so hard on him? Were you trying to break his spirit?”

“Going easy on him would do him more harm than good,” Leo argued. “Splinter and I agreed that it was for the best. I don’t want to hurt him, Donny. But he needs to know that he’s not ready to go to the surface yet. If he were to go up now…, even with all us to protect him… he would be killed. I would rather hurt his feelings than lose him.”

“Yeah,” Donny sniffed and wiped his eyes. “I guess you’re right. I wouldn’t have been able to do it, though.”

“I would never ask you to,” Leo said, placing his hand on Donny’s shoulder. “I’ll handle the hard stuff with Raph. Now, you go get some rest.”

Don managed a breathy chuckle, “Gladly.” He gave Leo a reassuring squeeze on the arm then left the dojo, shutting the door behind him. 

Leo let out a ragged breath and fell to his knees. The morning had been emotionally draining and he was glad that it was over.


	9. Test

If his counterpart from another dimension could do it with a flashlight and some spare parts then so could he. Donatello was a genius in his own right. He was able to get a good look at the handheld portal device that his counterpart had made. All he had to do was take that scaled down version and make it a little bigger. 

Donatello placed his head on the desk. Was there some law of physics that didn’t apply to his counterpart that was enforced on him? 

All he wanted to do was look. It wasn’t like he was trying to build a doorway between the dimensions. He sighed. Maybe that was his problem. Maybe it had to be a doorway. 

A doorway would be harder to build and he wasn’t sure where he would put it but he was already coming up with what he would need. He got up and searched through his storage closets. 

As he rummaged through his supplies a hand on his shoulder pulled him from his thoughts. He turned to see Leatherhead with Snow in his arms. “How long has she been crying?” Leatherhead asked. 

“Um….” Donatello had no idea. He hadn’t heard her. He had honestly forgotten she was in the room with him. Leatherhead had placed her in there with Don to sleep since Mikey was making a lot of noise and he didn’t want the noise to wake her.

“I opened the door and she was screaming,” Leatherhead said. “How could you not hear her?”

“I was focused on work,” Donatello answered. “You know how I can get. I learned to focus out all noise to the point that only Leo or Splinter’s voices in a state of alarm could pull me from my thoughts.”

“Then I will remember not to leave her alone with you while you work.” There was a trace of anger in Leatherhead’s words and they cut into Donny. 

“I didn’t mean to tune her out. I’m not used to her yet.”

Leatherhead sighed. “You need to think about what is more important to you, Donatello. It’s no longer just about you.”

“It never has been,” Donny snapped back. “I throw myself into work like this to protect my family. You think I want to stay in here, cooped up in my lab all day, worried about whether or not my security systems are adequate? I barely have any time for myself as it is. I’m always doing something for others. So forgive me for wanting to take a little time out for a personal project.”

The words just flooded from him without giving them a second thought. Leatherhead’s eyes narrowed. “I’ll make sure you have time to yourself.” He shifted his gazed down to Snow and left the lab. 

“I didn’t mean to snap,” Donny called out as the door closed. He started pacing back and forth. “Why do I have to dedicate all my time for others? Is it really too much to ask for a little bit of me time? I’m not the only one in this lair who can watch Snow. Just because she came from me I have to be solely responsible for her? It’s not like I wanted her in the first place….”

As he said the words he regretted them and was glad that there was no one in the room to hear him say them. He loved his daughter and would do anything for her. He just wanted time. His schedule was messed up enough as it was. It wasn’t his intention to let his work consume most of his time. It was ingrained in him after so many years. It wasn’t easy to adjust to accommodate the random needs of a child.

He walked over and collapsed onto the nest bed. “Ouch,” he mumbled into the pillow as he pulled the hard plastic toy out from under him. Having a child was going to take some getting used to. He rolled to his back and held the toy up. 

It was a multi-functional toy with parts that moved and spun. Like his life, it was more complicated than it really needed to be. He spun one of the parts and let his mind drift. 

The solution to his earlier problem rushed in, pushing out any other thought. Dropping the toy, Don got up from the bed and started the construction of the portal’s doorway.

**

Leonardo was sitting in his room, meditating. The space was still foreign to him. Getting used to a new place should be easy for him, he had done it enough. But it always took a while to feel comfortable in a new environment. 

He tried to use familiar items to help in the process. Scent was an important thing to them so he used the same scented candles every time. Texture was the next thing and a soft rung was used to help with that. Finally, structure. He tried to meditate at the same time every day. Everything else will eventually fall into place. 

The door opened. It was done quietly with every intention not to disturb Leo. There was a slight clang of bottles and the door was shut again. With a deep breath, Leo took in the scent of Michelangelo. 

The youngest had become increasingly clingy. His room was used mostly to store his things because he never slept there. He usually chose to sleep in with Leo but would still occasionally curl up next to Raph. The companionship was more than welcome. Mikey wasn’t the only one who desired the intimate bond of lovers. 

The springs of Leo’s bed creaked and the clanging bottles were place on the bedside table. The shifting across the sheets told Leo that Mikey was settling down on the bed to wait for Leo to finish. 

A few years ago Mikey simply being in the room would have irritated Leo to the point of not being able to continue. But as it was, Mikey brought Leo comfort and helped to ease him into a meditative state. 

Meditation was comforting and regenerating. He could breathe into sore muscles and ease the tension or clear his mind of anger and regret. He could sense his family and where they were. Though he couldn’t read their thoughts he knew their emotional state of mind. 

Raph was relaxing in his collection room where he spent a lot of his time. Leo suspected that he was still in denial over his condition, no matter how hard he tried to play it down. There were times Leo could sense his sadness and other times he was shut down completely. It varied throughout the day. 

Don was in his lab, working on his secret project. He was determined to figure out what ever it was. It was a matter of pride for him to the point of obsession, something Leo had never seen in his brother before. He had been focused on a project before but not like this. It was almost like he had something to prove. 

Leatherhead was in the living room with Snow. Leo could feel the love he felt for her radiate from him. It was a serine moment that filled Leo with joy and regret at the same time. He had grown to love Snow, just as everyone else had but it pained him to know that he would never be a father.

Splinter was meditating in his room. When Leo reached out to him, his father opened his mind further. Being able to connect to his father in such a way was a great point of pride for Leo. It was refreshing to know that if they were ever separated, Leo would be able to find his father. 

With an inward sigh, Leo shifted his thoughts over to Mikey to find that his brother was nervous. Leo wondered what it was that was causing Mikey to feel that way. Opening his eyes, Leo looked over at Mikey who was lounging on the bed. 

Then his eyes drifted over to the bedside table. For some reason, Mikey had brought in a six pack of beer. Leo figured that he might as well find out what Mikey had planned. “Did you need something, Mikey?”

Sitting up, Mikey looked like he had just been asked a trivia question without knowing the answer. He placed his hand on the bottles and forced one of his smiles. “I have wanted to try beer for a while now, Raph seems to like it, and I was wondering if you would like to try it with me.”

Leo leaned over to blow out the candles. “I have no desire to drink.”

“I…,” Mikey sighed. “I was hoping that it would loosen us up a little bit.”

“Loosen us up?” Leo repeated, looking at Mikey while lifting an eye ridge. He had an idea where Mikey was going but he had to make sure. “Why?”

“I thought that if we got drunk then we would be able to get over that first step… and….” His voice trailed off. 

That would explain why he was nervous. Leo stood and walked towards the bed, “Mikey….”

“I want that kind of relationship, Leo.” Mikey turned and pulled a bottle from the pack. “Can we at least try? If this doesn’t work, I’ll stop trying. I’ll accept the fact that… I won’t….”

A tear fell from Mikey’s eye and, in that moment, Leo wished he could give Mikey what he wanted. He loved Mikey and he wanted the same thing but it wasn’t enough. Mikey scent was all wrong and there was no desire. Maybe the alcohol will help to override that. Sitting on the bed, Leo took the bottle from Mikey. “Did you remember to bring a bottle opener?”

After wiping his hand across his eyes, Mikey reached over and picked up the bottle opener and handed it to Leo. 

Leo had had beer once before and didn’t care for its flavor. He lifted the bottle to his lips and took a sip, discovering that he still didn’t like it. 

“How does Raph drink this stuff?” Mikey said, holding the bottle out and sticking out his tongue. 

“I think he does it for the effect,” Leo said as he tapped the side of his head. “He likes to escape.”

“It gets harder as we get older,” Mikey mumbled as he studied the bottle. “I envy Donny.”

Leo took another drink and leaned back against the headboard. “I think, in a way, we all do.”

They sat in silence for a while as they drank through their first bottle. Halfway through the second Mikey looked at Leo and confessed. “I’ve had sex before.”

Leo looked at him and lifted an eye ridge. 

Mikey let out a soft chuckle. “Not counting the time with you.” He took a deep breath. “I found a place where people like to dress up as animals. It’s a big convention. Anyway, there are some people there that are kinda… kinky.”

Leo felt his eyes go wide. “Kinky? Did you have sex with a human?”

Mikey blushed and picked at the label on the bottle, “I did. Two girls actually. One was dressed as a cat and the other one was a fox. It felt good but it still didn’t feel right. It was… hallow.” He looked up at Leo then balked a little at his expression. “I used a condom, more to protect them from bacterial infection than anything else. I made sure to take them with me, which was weird.”

“They didn’t suspect that you weren’t in a costume?”

Mikey shrugged. “They thought that it was a really good costume. I wasn’t able to use my mouth at all because I had to act like it was a mask.” He shook his head. “One thing I know for sure, I don’t want a human girlfriend. They just don’t feel right. They are too soft and… not… deep enough.”

“They do look a bit squishy,” Leo agreed as he finished off his second bottle. “I want a strong mate with a hard shell.” He reached over Mikey to grab his third bottle and popped it open. His head was getting a little fuzzy but he wouldn’t say that he was intoxicated.

“The nice curve of a hard, well-rounded carapace to rub your plastron against would be nice,” Mikey said with a distant look in his eyes. “I like to imagine what a girl turtle would look like.” He scoffed, “Wouldn’t look much different from a male.”

“There would be a few differences,” Leo corrected. “And who knows what the mutation would change. But they would smell right.”

Mikey nodded, “Yeah.” He suddenly perked up and slapped Leo’s shoulder. “Does Karai still have any mutagen?”

“I know where you are going with this,” Leo sighed. “No. And even if she did, we would not mutate female turtles for our own benefit.”

Mikey made an unsavory sound out of his nose then downed the rest of his beer. “You’re no fun, Leo.”

“This life isn’t fair and I don’t want to inflict it on anyone else.” He finished the rest of his beer and set the bottle down on the floor. “That’s it, you only brought sex…, I mean six.”

Mikey’s resulting giggle snort had Leo laughing in kind. As they laughed, they shifted on the bed until they were lying facing each other. All giggling stopped as they looked into each other’s eyes. Leo brought his hand up and ran his thumb over Mikey’s cheek. 

Changing positions, Mikey’s rolled onto his back and Leo moved over him then settled between his legs. Leo leaned down and their lips met in a light kiss, their lips barely brushing together. “This is doing nothing for me,” Leo admitted, pulling back. “I can make myself do it, I guess, but I really have no desire to.”

“I…,” Mikey took a deep breath and shook his head. “I really don’t want your penis in me.”

Leo touched his forehead to Mikey’s. “I’m sorry, Mikey.” Tears started to stream down Mikey’s cheeks and Leo nuzzled his cheek. “We don’t need sex to be happy.”

“It’s not just the sex, Leo,” Mikey choked out. “If it was, I’d be fine doing those girls from the convention. And it’s not something I need, it’s something I want. I want that connection with someone.”

“We can have that connection, without the sex,” Leo said, looking in to Mikey’s eyes. 

Looking away, Mikey wiped the tears from his cheeks. “I guess it will have to do.”

**

Donatello tightened the last screw on his ‘doorway’ then took the leading wires and connected them to a conduit that led to his computer. He worked on that stupid portable portal machine, he should understand how it worked. That childlike counterpart of his was not smarter than him. 

He typed in the code and the machine started to hum. Light flickered in the ‘doorway’ but when Donny put his hand to it he touched the wall behind it. 

What was he doing wrong?

Maybe physics did work differently in that world than it did for him. Maybe it was an impossible task Donny had set himself to. 

He took a deep breath and settled his mind. No. If the other worlds existed then he will find a way to study them. He was close. There was just something that he wasn’t seeing.


	10. Illusion

TMNT 100 Theme  
Chapter 10  
Illusion

 

Michelangelo was awoken from a deep sleep by Leonardo’s thrashing. Another nightmare. He had them often, brought on by the stress of leadership. The fate of their small clan rested in his hands. Though he never told Mikey what the nightmares were about the youngest had a good idea. 

The few words that Leo mumbled in his sleep and the way his body tensed and twitched were enough to let Mikey know. His nightmares were filled with his perceived failures. Of the time when they almost died when the Shredder’s ship exploded, of the multiple near misses throughout their short lives and who knows what else. Their lives have almost ended more times than Mikey would like to count.

“No,” Leo called out in his sleep in a breathy plea. He rolled over to his side and Mikey could see the scars on Leo’s carapace. Bitter reminders of the time Karai ran him through. How could he now trust her? Maybe he didn’t, not really, but saw that there was no other choice. They needed an ally. 

The nightmares had increased in frequency after Don was captured by Bishop and have only gotten worse since. Leo tried not to let show but he took what happened to Don and Raph personally. He saw it as a failure on his part. He feared that one day his failure would cause one of them to die. 

Leo’s body twitched and his muscles tensed. Whatever he was dreaming about, it was intense.

“You’re not a failure, Leo,” Mikey whispered to him. “You’re like Captain Kirk, the only one who was able to win against impossible odds. Only you didn’t have to cheat to do it.”

Leo chuckled and rolled back over to look up at Mikey, “Thanks, Mikey. But I think the Utroms teleporting us from the exploding ship counts as a cheat.”

“You didn’t fail us in that moment, Leo.” Mikey pressed his head against Leo’s. “I didn’t mean to wake you.”

“You didn’t,” Leo smiled. “The dream woke me up.”

“Do you wanna talk about it?” Mikey ventured to ask. 

Leo’s answer was a flat, “No,” putting an end to it. 

“Oaky,” Mikey snuggled against Leo. “I want you to know that… I think…,” he didn’t know how to put it. “You’re a great leader Leo.” He wanted to say more but he didn’t know how to express it. 

“Don’t worry about my nightmares, Mikey,” Leo said. “Having you here with me helps, a lot.”

“I’m glad I can help.”

**

Raph woke up in a cold sweat. His muscles trembled with the effort of moving them. Pain coursed through every part of him. It was too much. 

Rolling to his side he managed to work his way out of his hammock. The simple effort of it strained and exhausted the already pained and tired muscles. 

He had gone to bed without taking his pain medication. It had been his third attempt to stop taking the pills but every time he did his body hurt. So, even though he had told his family that he was no longer taking them, he continued relying on the pills to manage his pain. 

Splinter had said that Raph had to be off the pills before he was going to be allowed to go out because he feared that they would addle his mind. But they no longer made him tired, he would have to take several to achieve that effect, they kept the pain away so that he could function. They actually helped to keep his mind clear. 

His hands shook as he reached for the pill bottle and he struggled to open it. What good would he be to his family like this? Dumping three into his hand, Raph then looked to see how many he had left. How was the bottle so low already? He swore he got it only a few nights ago. It was a month’s supply. 

Fortunately for him the Purple Dragons dealt in trafficking prescription medications so he didn’t have to take it from the hospital. But that would have to wait for nightfall. Until then, Raph would have to get by with what he had. To make his supply last longer, Raph dropped one of the pills back into the bottle. Two would have to do for now. He could manage with a little bit of pain. 

The dosage was supposed to be just one every six hours but that no longer worked. He needed at least three. He figured it was because he grabbed the wrong dosage in his haste last time. He made a mental note to make sure to get a stronger dosage and a larger bottle when he raided the Dragon’s hideout. 

Dry swallowing the two in his hand, Raph leaned against the wall to wait for them to take effect. It didn’t take long for Raph to start feeling better. With a sigh of relief, he stood up and stretched. He looked at the pill bottle in his hand. Just a little longer, he thought to himself. Just a little longer then he would stop taking the pills. He just needed the pain to end first. 

He wouldn’t be able to go out if he was in pain. 

Exiting his room, Raph was met with the scent of breakfast. He didn’t have to see who was cooking to know who it was. They each had their own go to dishes when it was their turn to cook. Mikey stuck with simple scrambled eggs and toast. Donny, with his sweet tooth, liked to make waffles or pancakes. Raph liked to make oatmeal or cream of wheat and spruce it up with dried fruit and nuts. But the aroma that came from the kitchen was that of stuffed French toast, which told Raph that Leo was making breakfast. 

Leo liked the more intricate meals that consisted of a few more steps than the others. Dinners were no different. Mikey kept it simple. Donny made sweet meals. Raph grilled. And Leo spent nearly an hour doing the prep work alone. 

Raph’s stomach let him know that he was hungry so he made his way to the dining cart. He knew better than to go into the kitchen when Leo was working. 

The rest of the family was already in their seats, waiting for Leo to finish. As he said his good mornings to everyone, Raph took his seat. 

“How are you feeling this morning?” Donny asked. “Any pain?”

“I’m good,” Raph lied, or gave his half-truth. “There’s a little bit of tightness but it’s nothing I can’t handle.”

“I think the extra wrappings on your joints are cool looking,” Mikey said, out of the blue. “I might start doing it just for the look. Also when we do fight, our enemies will think that we do it to look cool and not that you need the extra support.”

“It might be wise for all of you to take the extra precaution to protect your joints,” Splinter added. “The amount of vigorous activity you four put yourselves through it’s a wonder that none have you have suffered joint damage already.”

Donny nodded, “You have a point. I’ll look into getting us all adequate support.” 

“Support for what?” Leo asked as he entered the dining cart carrying a plate piled high with stuffed French toast. 

“We’re all gonna start wearing extra support on our joints,” Mikey answered, nabbing a piece as soon as Leo placed the plate on the table. 

“That is a good idea,” Leo agreed. He served himself then passed the plate to Raph. “Maybe we can put some over Mikey’s mouth to actually keep him quiet when we are out on a mission.” Leo smiled and looked at Mikey, who let out a sarcastic laugh but said nothing in response. 

After breakfast they were given an hour to digest before training began. Raph took that opportunity to spend some time with Snow while Donny went back to whatever project he was working on. 

Snow’s tail was long enough that it was able to wrap around Raph’s arm and hold tight. “You’re a strong girl,” Raph smiled down at her. He was sitting on the floor in his extra room with Snow in his lap. She was able to sit up on her own but he liked to hold her. 

There was an old clothing rack with formal dresses hung on it that was against the opposite wall. He looked up at the dressed and thought back to the time when he wanted to see Joi in those dresses. He laughed at himself as the thought about his little crush on her. 

She didn’t seem to be the formal dress wearing type. 

“I was such a fool,” he said to Snow. “We got along great but… we wouldn’t have worked. I liked her. But it was the same as it is with Donny. There was just something missing. Her body was all wrong and just like Donny her scent wasn’t right.”

He leaned his head back against the wall and looked up at the ceiling. “I’m just going to have to accept it.” He looked back down at Snow. “You are going to have it worse. Or maybe you won’t. I guess that all depends on when the aliens get here. Again.”

He sighed and leaned in close. “I’ve seen the future, but a long time from now. It took time to get to that point. So maybe in your life time you will be able to walk among the humans without any fear. The way Cody made it sound, you should.”

Her legs kicked against him and she cooed. Raph couldn’t help but smile. It was hard not to and for a moment he felt at peace. 

They spent the hour together and it went by quickly. Leatherhead knocked on the door to let Raph know that it was time for training. Raph left Snow with him and then headed over to the dojo. 

The others were already there. He joined them on the floor, kneeling before Splinter and waited to begin. 

Raph had continued to improve. Donny had said that it had to do with the fact that they were mutants. The scars stayed, along with some of the deformities but damaged tendons, that would have left a human crippled, mended themselves. Even his problems with his intestines seemed to work themselves out. It was the little things that made him love being a mutant.

In the three months since Raph had rejoined his brothers for morning training, he had improved to the point where he was able to hold his own against them. He was even able to grip and hold his sai again. He wasn’t up to where he was before the attack yet and he still had to rebuild the muscle. Despite it all, he still managed to land a few blows to each of his brothers. 

It felt good to be able to fight again and for his body to do what it was supposed to. 

The worst part was his aim. He used to be the best when it came to hitting the target with daggers and stars but do to the loss of his left eye he was unable to hit his mark. He didn’t need the depth perception in close combat so the loss of the eye didn’t affect that as much. 

After training was over they once again knelt down in front of their father. Splinter took a deep breath and looked at Raph. “You have improved a great deal, my son. And because of this I will allow you to go to the surface once again.” Before Raph could say anything, Splinter held up his hand. “However, you must only go when all three of your brothers can accompany you. Is that understood?”

“Yes, father,” Raph agreed, bowing deep to hide the pang of guilt. He hated lying to his father but he couldn’t stand having to stay in the lair much longer. “Thank you, father.”

After regaining his composure, Raph sat up and looked at his brothers. “Would you guys be alright with going to see Mrs. M?”

Leo nodded, “We can do that.”

“But for only an hour,” Donny added. 

“Donny,” Mikey chided him. 

Raph placed his hand on Mikey’s shoulder. “It’s okay. An hour is more than enough time. I was just wondering if I could be alone in there with her.”

“Nothing funny’s going on is there, Raph?” Mikey teased, flashing him a huge grin. 

“God no!” Raph pushed him down. “Get that out of your head.”

They were dismissed and rest of the day progressed as usual. Mikey played videogames, Leo did some more training, Don vanished into his lab and Raph hit the weights. 

As Raph used the free weights he was able to see into the dojo and watched Leo run through some complex katas. Raph couldn’t help but notice that he was a little off. “You okay, Leo?”

Leo paused and looked over at Raph. “I’m fine. Why?”

Raph shrugged, “You just look a little… tired.”

“Mikey had bad gas last night,” Leo answered then went back to his kata. 

“I guess that would be my fault,” Raph chuckled. He had cooked dinner the night before. The only thing was there was nothing in the meal he made that should have given Mikey gas. Maybe he snuck into the kitchen after dinner and ate some more. Raph has no idea where he puts it all or how he stays so slight. 

“I’m sure it’s Mikey’s,” Leo said as he flowed through to the next stance. Watching Leo move was as tranquil as watching the water flow down a river on a lazy spring day. There was no hesitation in his movements. Even in his current state of exhaustion he barely faltered. 

After he was done exercising, Raph managed to get through lunch before heading to his room for more pills. He looked at the two pills in his hand and considered not taking them. But then his hand started to tremble and he took them. 

That night they headed out of the lair and Raph could hardly contain himself. He was going to the surface. Anytime he went out to steal pills from the Purple Dragons Raph stayed to the sewers and entered the warehouse from underneath. So he never actually went outside. 

He stumbled on Hun’s stash by accident one night on his way to the hospital, to see if there were any pills to take from the special site used to dispose unused prescription medicine. He saw it as a bit of vindication to get back a Hun for beating him up in the first place. Raph never took much, probably the same amount as some of Hun’s goons. 

He got in grabbed what he needed and got out then back to the lair before anyone knew that he was gone. The hardest part was lying to his family about it. But he wouldn’t be allowed to go to the surface if they knew.

When they got to Mrs. Morrison’s place, Raph dropped down into the ally while the other’s stayed on the roof. He did his special knock and it wasn’t long before the lights came on and the door opened. He loved to see how her face lit up when she greeted him. No one else has ever been so happy to see him. 

“Come in. Come in,” she said as she ushered him inside and closed the door. “We didn’t get long to talk last time you were here. I could tell that you were holding something back and I have been so worried.”

Raph kept a tight hold on her hand as they made their way to the sofa. “I didn’t want to get in to too much with my family here. And Master Splinter wanted me back up to a certain level before he allowed me to leave the lair again.”

“That’s understandable, dear.” They sat on the sofa and her hands came up to touch Raph’s face. “Oh, you poor child. You are too young to face such horrors.”

With a bitter chuckle, Raph leaned into her touch. “I have faced more horrors than most men much older than me.”

“I’m sure you have,” she whispered. She patted his cheek then stood up. “Would you like some cookies? I heard about these new morsels that have filling like caramel and mint. I had the lady who gets me my groceries buy me a few bags. I will admit that I ate a few before I added them to the mix.”

Raph chuckled, “I would love some.”

“Would you like to take some home to your family?” she asked from the kitchen. “I made a lot. I tend to get carried away.”

“I’m sure they would appreciate it,” Raph called back. “Fresh baked cookies are a luxury item for us.” 

“I’ll put some in a bag then.” She soon returned with a plate of cookies and a glass of milk. She handed them to Raph and then sat down then gave Raph a chance to eat before asking, “Are you doing alright?”

Raph sighed. “I’m okay.”

“Raphael,” Mrs. Morrison chided lightly. “I know that something is bothering you.” Her hand came up and caressed his cheek. “You never held back from me before. Why start now? I mean, you told me about your feelings for Joi and what happened with your brother. Whatever it is, you can tell me.”

“I remember everything that was done to me,” Raph admitted. He wanted to tell her everything but he also wanted to spare her the details. Tears started to fall and he didn’t even try to stop them. He leaned down and placed his head in her lap. “He humiliated me and laughed while he did it. I can still hear his laughter in my dreams. There are times that I don’t let it get to me and then there are days that I wish he had killed me.”

“You can rise above this,” she soothed as he cried, running her hand over his carapace. She had no idea how nice it felt to have his carapace rubbed. If he could, he would be purring. Or maybe she did know. She had told him before that she had a pet turtle when she was younger. 

He loved having her in his life. He brought comfort to her as much as she comforted him. She didn’t have much family and none of them lived in the area. So she looked forward to his visits as much as he did. 

“So when do I get to meet this baby of yours?” Mrs. Morrison asked. “It’s been too long since I’ve held a baby.”

Raph chuckled, grateful for the change of topic and he wiped the tears from his cheeks. “Maybe I’ll get April to come and get you one day and lead you to the lair. It wouldn’t be safe to leave the lair with Snow.”

“That’s understandable,” she nodded. “Is she sitting up yet?”

“Yeah,” Raph smiled. “She’s strong. She can sit on her own and roll over. She can even scoot across the floor in a kind of commando crawl and she’s trying to pull herself up.”

Mrs. Morrison chuckled. “Sounds to me like she is going to be an early walker. My son was walking by eight months.” Her voice took on a hint of pain. It always did when she mentioned her children. It wasn’t right for a parent to outlive their children. 

“As soon as she learns to walk she will start her training,” Raph said in jest. “She has a hard life ahead of her.”

“I pray for your happiness every day, Raphael.” 

“I get moments,” Raph replied. “But overall happiness isn’t in the cards for someone like me and my brothers. Well, Don was able to find a little more than the rest of us.”

“I will continue to pray. Maybe you will be surprised.”

They continued to talk with Raph lying across Mrs. Morison’s lap as she stroked his shell and time passed all too quickly. A gentle knock on the door told Raph that his hour was up. He got up, said his goodbye then saw himself out. 

“Here,” he handed Don the bag of cookies. “To make it all worth your while.”

Donny looked in the brown paper bag, “Cookies!” He reached in and pulled one out. “Chocolate, chocolate chip.” His eyes lit up when he took a bite. “With mint. These are wonderful.”

Raph chuckled. “She loves to make cookies. I’ll let her know that you like them.”

“Let’s get back to the lair,” Leo said, snatching the bag from Don before Mikey was able to grab a cookie. “We can indulge ourselves when we are safe at home.”

Mikey moaned but then was the first to make his way up to the rooftops. “Then let’s hurry back!”


	11. Creation

TMNT 100 Theme  
Chapter 11  
Creation

 

“Please work,” Donny whispered with his eyes closed as he pressed the button. He heard the machine whirl to life but that didn’t mean anything, he knew that the power supply was working fine. It was everything else that was giving him problems. He was constantly getting nothing but an image of the brick wall. He was starting to lose hope. 

Tilting his head towards the portal door, Donny opened his eyes. A smile spread across his face as he took in the image in front of him. He could see the prime world in all of its black and white glory. “I did it!” he jumped up from his seat to stand in front of the portal. Months of work had finally paid off. “I did it!”

“Did what, my love?” Leatherhead asked as he walked into the lab with Snow in his arms. 

“Look, Kroki,” Don smiled, pointing to the portal. “I did it. I created a portal into the multiverse.”

“That’s what you’ve been working on?” Leatherhead asked as he stepped toward the portal. “Your personal project was a portal device. Why?”

“Research,” Donny said, telling Leatherhead a half truth. The answer, ‘Because I wanted to prove that I was as smart as my counterpart,’ didn’t sound as good. He then turned to his computer. “I can even set it up to find anyone within the world, so long as they exist there. Let’s see if you were part of Turtle prime.” Typing in the code, Don chuckled lightly. “Well, I guess we are also testing if I programmed this thing right.”

They watched as the portal shifted to reveal the image of Leatherhead’s counterpart, slumbering by a pool of water in the sewers. Pride swelled inside of Donatello as he looked at the image through the portal. He had managed to pull it off. 

“Can he see us?” Leatherhead asked. 

“I don’t know,” Don admitted. “I haven’t actually tested to see if the portal worked beyond viewing. I am fairly certain that it is a one way device. I’ll see if I can put my hand through it.”

“Change it to someone else before you do,” Leatherhead requested. “We don’t know the mental stability of this Leatherhead or the extent of the portal yet. I don’t want him coming through in a fit of rage.”

“Alright,” Donny nodded and turned back to his computer. “Let’s see what April is doing.” 

She appeared in the portal and Don noticed how different she looked from the April he knew. She had dark curly hair and tan skin. She was sitting at a small kitchen table in an apartment while sipping what looked to be coffee. The most noticeable difference was the small child playing on the floor just a few feet away. The April and Casey he knew hadn’t had a child yet. 

Based off the looks of the little girl, it was obvious that she was not April’s child. Maybe she was babysitting. Casey soon joined the scene, saying something about fixing the garbage disposal in another apartment then changing the locks on yet another. April nodded and lifted her head as Casey bent down for a kiss. Casey then made his way out of the apartment, stopping to kiss the little girl on the head before leaving. 

“This is so cool.” Donny walked back up to the portal and placed his hand on it. “It tingles.”

April and the little girl didn’t seem to notice. 

“Maybe I should do this where no one is around,” Don thought out loud. “I don’t want to freak anyone out with a disembodied hand. I’m sure this April has had her fair share of near heart attacks as it is.”

“Good call,” Leatherhead agreed. 

Once again, Don returned to the computer and typed in the code to move the portal to a place that was unoccupied. This time when he touched his hand to the screen Don pushed his hand through. There was a bit of resistance but not much. He then quickly pulled it back out. “It seems that it works.”

“It appears so,” Leatherhead walked up to Don. “Now, what are you going to do with it?”

“I want to study the multiverse.” Don answered. “I want to see how we live in other worlds. The ones we’ve already met were so different and yet… the same.” He keyed in another code and a new world appeared. “This is the other world we have already experienced.

“It’s kind of comical.” A sly smile spread across Don’s face. “Let’s see what you look like in this one.” He keyed in the code and nearly choked on his laughter when Leatherhead’s counterpart appeared in the portal. 

Leatherhead, however, was more befuddled than amused. “What is he wearing?” 

The other world Leatherhead had on a hunter’s hat, blue pants, boots, and a torn up yellow vest. He was traipsing through what looked like a swamp. When the croc spoke it only caused Donatello to lose his control over his laughter. 

“I don’t know,” Donatello chuckled, shaking his head. “Judging by his appearance and the way he speaks, I’m going to guess that he is living in Louisiana and isn’t half the genius that you are.”

“I am glad that you are finding this to be so humorous,” Leatherhead chuckled. 

It took a few moments for Donatello to stop laughing. He was so over joyed that his devise was functional that the smallest things were able to set him off into another fit of laughter. He couldn’t remember the last time he was so happy. 

Don took deep breaths to calm himself. “I wanna see more in this world.” He looked for Casey and once again nearly lost himself in laughter. It was contagious and Leatherhead soon joined him in the merriment. 

“What’s going on in here?” Raph asked as he walked in to the lab. “What’s so funny? Am I missing something with Snow?”

Donny could only point at the portal as he wiped the tears from his eyes. Leatherhead was more in control of himself so he was able to answer. “Donatello managed to create a portal and is looking at our counterparts from other worlds. He finds it… humorous. I think it also has something to do with the fact that he hasn’t had a lot of sleep.”

“Look at Casey,” Donatello choked out before sucking in a breath and returned to laughing. 

Raph looked through the portal and couldn’t help but chuckle. “And here I thought our Casey had a poor sense of fashion. This guy looks like a bad eighties movie punk. It seems to fit with those wacked out turtles.” He looked over at Don, “Speaking of which, what are our counterparts up to?”

Donatello managed to work the keys well enough to have the system look for Raph’s counterpart. 

After a few seconds Raph blurted out, “What the hell?” silencing Don’s laughter. Wondering what had managed to upset his brother, Don looked at the portal. He saw Raph’s counterpart kissing a mutated lizard woman. “That geek has a girlfriend? Why does he get a girlfriend?”

Don shrugged, “The mutagen was readily available in that dimension so it’s fair to assume that there are quite a few mutants. Some of them were bound to be female.”

“Fair? Lucky bastard,” Raph mumbled. “I wouldn’t mind a mutant lizard girlfriend. “I could deal with the hair and breasts.” 

“How about we find you in another dimension,” Don offered as he pressed the buttons. 

When the new image came up, Raph chuckled slightly. “That’s not much better.” At least he was able to find some humor in the situation. The actions on the other side of the portal were similar to the ones before, though this time he was making out with a fox woman. “I think I liked the lizard better. All that fur would get annoying. Cleaning up after was Splinter sheds is bad enough.”

“At least you know that you get some action in other dimensions. Let’s try another,” Donny chuckled. 

“Oh fuck,” Raph burst out laughing at the image of his and Don’s counterparts in the process of some intense sex. Raph squinted his eyes, “You have a human like penis coming out of your plastron.”

“I’m not very fond of this one,” Leatherhead stated in a flat tone. “And Snow doesn’t really need to be seeing it.”

“I’m typing as fast as I can,” Don said as his fingers flew over the keyboard. 

The portal shifted again and Raph tilted his head as he considered the image. “I’m dressed as a cowboy.”

“It appears that you are,” Donny agreed. 

“Do another,” Raph grinned. “This is actually kinda fun.”

They spent the next hour looking at different dimensions through the portal. Some were just like their world. Others were vastly different. A few had them near hysterics with laughter. The strangest ones for Don were the ones where their counterparts were human. 

They watched one where one turtle showed up when Don searched for both Leo and Raph and another showed up when Don searched for himself and Mikey. The world was flooded with mutants. The parts that were most different were the fact that they were raised by Baxter Stockman and Splinter was nowhere to be found. He wrote down the information needed to return to the dimension later. It was fascinating and he wanted to know more. 

In another dimension Raph and Mikey were angels where Don and Leo were demons. It was a little unnerving for Don to see himself as a demon. The creature seemed to enjoy hurting others. And Leo’s counterpart in that world was obsessed with Mikey. 

For the most part the worlds were the same as theirs; four Turtles, living in the sewers with their rat master. He even found a few where there was a fifth turtle who was female. 

“She has boobs,” Raph said shaking his head. “How does that work.”

“They wouldn’t be functional,” Don said. “Or soft.” She wasn’t the first mutant turtle they had seen in their search. They had come across a few female turtles with breasts that varied in size. Some were painfully large. “I don’t see how they can fight with those in the way. And they would cause back problems.”

In the worlds that were most similar it was only a few everyday things that differed from world to world. There were several where they had girlfriends who varied from humans to mutants of all kinds. There were a few where they had boyfriends. They also came across a few more where they were with each other. It brought a smile to Don’s face whenever he came across another dimension where he was with Leatherhead. 

Raph stood in front of the portal, crossing his arms as he considered it. “What happens if you go through it?”

Don shrugged, “We would be in that world.”

“Yeah, but,” Raph looked over at Don. “How would you get back?”

“Um….” Don shook his head. “I don’t really know.”

Raph took a step back from the portal, “So if something were to happen while this thing was functional and I fell through the portal, I would be stuck in whatever dimension it was on?”

“I never intended to go through it,” Don said. As he slowly stood, his mind raced with possibilities and then it went to worst case scenarios. 

Memories from his trip to the future flashed through his mind. He had vanished. What if he had vanished through a portal and was stuck in another dimension? What if that future was still possible? Maybe Shredder wasn’t dead. 

Panic filled him. He hadn’t thought about the possibility of going through the portal. He just wanted to look through it, to prove that he could build one, nothing more. His hands trembled as he pressed the buttons to turn the portal off. He stuck his hand through it. What if it had sucked him through?

“Don, you okay?” Raph asked, stepping close. “You look like you are about to be sick.”

“How could I be so stupid?” Don whispered to himself. 

Leatherhead passed Snow to Raph and then rushed over to Donny. “What is it, my love?”

“I could have… that future… I watched them all die. It’s my fault.” Don rambled, unable to gather his thoughts. “I almost made it happen. I never considered. It was so… depressing. I was so focused on getting it done… I didn’t think….”

Leatherhead soothed Donatello, pulling him close. “Hush now, my love. Nothing happened. Everything is going to be alright.”

“I’ll leave the two of you alone,” Raph said, turning for the door. 

“He just needs some sleep,” Leatherhead said as he guided Don to the bed. “I’ll stay with him to make sure he sleeps well.”

“I’ll take care of Snow,” Raph nodded, closing the door behind him.


	12. 67%

TMNT 100 Theme  
Chapter 12  
67%

 

Leonardo and Michelangelo were alone on patrol as they ran over the city rooftops. It was a warm night in the Big Apple and a little humid. Mikey loved it. It was a whole lot better than being cold. 

Raph had opted out of parole, deciding instead to tend to Snow. He had gotten in the habit of having her sleep in with him, refusing to let Don make her cry herself to sleep. It was a sour spot for the trio of parents. “Don’t expect me to fix it later,” Don would yell at Raph. “You are spoiling her.” Raph wouldn’t respond but simply go to his room and shut the door. 

When Leo had gone to get Donny for patrol, Leatherhead had pleaded with them to led Donny sleep, something he hadn’t been doing a lot of over the past few days. His portal project had been consuming almost all of his free time. Add to that all of his other duties within the lair and he barely had any time for sleep or anything else for that matter. The exasperated sigh from Leatherhead told Mikey that the large crock was not all that happy about Don’s project. 

So the two were on their own and Leo had decided to make a trip to visit Karai. Mikey was a little iffy about it, he didn’t fully trust their former enemy even though she was instrumental in saving Raph’s life. But, he could see how much Leo wanted an alliance with her. He believed she had changed. 

“Why are we here?” Mikey asked when they reached the foot headquarters. 

“You got me thinking the other night when you asked if Karai had any more mutagen.” Leo answered. “We are here to ask her if she does.”

“And if she does are we gonna mutate us some girlfriends?” Mikey asked, knowing quite well what the answer was going to be. 

Leo simply glared at Mikey and then for good measure, smacked him on the back of the head. 

“Ouch,” Mikey complained, rubbing his head. “A simple ‘no’ would have worked.”

They didn’t have to wait long before a Foot ninja approached them. Leo and Mikey bowed to the ninja and then followed him into the compound. Leo allowed himself a soft smile, showing that he was at ease in their environment. 

The ninja led the pair to where Karai was waiting. When they entered a genuine smile brightened her face as she turned to great them. It was a vast contrast to the hard mask of indifference or anger that she used to wear whenever they were around. She was actually quite pretty when she smiled. Mikey chanced a glance at Leo and saw that his smile had widened as well, leaving Mikey to wonder if he had a mild crush on their former enemy. 

“Hello, Leonardo. Michelangelo,” she bowed to them. “To what do I owe the pleasure of this visit? Have you reconsidered joining the Foot?”

Once again Mikey glanced at Leo, looking for a reaction. So they had been offered a spot in the Foot clan, not just an alliance. Leo’s smile dropped a little and Mikey could read regret in his older brother’s eyes. 

Leo shook his head, stopping a respectable distance from Karai. “I am not quite ready to make such an extreme leap of faith. My trust in you grows Karai but it’s still not enough to join you just yet. Even if I wanted to join you now, my brothers are less trusting of you than I am. Instead, we are here because I am curious to know if you still have any mutagen in your possession.”

“Ah,” Karai nodded as the smile faded from her features. “I am still in possession of a few vials of it. Doctor Chaplin has been studying it in hopes of developing medicine.”

“That is all he is studying it for?” Leo asked, crossing his arms over his plastron. 

“I assure you,” she insisted, “our intentions are pure. We have not forced mutations on anyone, though a few more have come forward with the desire to be mutated. After a few weeks with the clan psychiatrist to make sure it was what they really wanted, I granted the mutations.”

Mikey couldn’t imagine anyone wanting to be a mutant. It wasn’t easy having to stay hidden from the rest of the world. He figured that the Foot ninja had a slightly easier time with it do to the fact that they were part of a large organization that took care of them. 

“Do any of them happen to be female and turtles?” Mikey asked, earning himself a piercing glare from Leo. “What? You might be okay with leading a celibate and loveless life but I have needs.”

“Get them under control,” Leo growled. 

Karai chuckled, causing both Leo and Mikey to look up at her in surprise. It wasn’t her typical maniacal laugh. It was actually melodic and cheerful. Mikey didn’t think she was capable of such a feminine sound. “All of the ones who have been mutated chose a mammal of some sort. Sorry, no turtles.”

“Forgive my brother,” Leo bowed. “Sometimes he speaks without thinking it through.”

“I can only begin to imagine what it would be like to live your life,” Karai said, shaking her head. “Michelangelo’s question is understandable.” She thought for a moment before speaking. “My father…. Shredder had only used about a third of the mutagen we had collected from his counterpart. If, by chance, you manage to find someone to love who wishes to be mutated for you then I will gladly assist them with that. But it must be something that they do willingly.”

“Thank you,” Mikey mumbled, bowing his head. “I don’t think it will ever come to that but it is comforting to know that the option exists.”

“You never know,” Karai smiled. “Some of the recent requests were from the girlfriends and wives of the men who were mutated. We are actually expecting our first child from one of the couples.”

“Really?” Mikey felt his heart sink. He was actually considering siding with Leo in the argument of joining the Foot. Maybe he would meet a nice ninja woman who would be willing to mutate into a turtle for him. To have that deeper connection with someone, Mikey would give up every comic book he owned. He wanted it more than anything. 

Leo smiled and said, as if he could read Mikey’s mind, “I think you might have just convinced Mikey to join the Foot for me. Now we just need to come up with ways to sway the other two and we’ll be moving in.”

“It’s tempting,” Mikey admitted with a huge grin. “Good luck convincing Don and Raph though.” 

“I am still looking for some qualified ninja to replace the Elite,” Karai said. 

Mikey chuckled, “Do we get to wear the cool hats?”

“Only if you really want to.”

“Sign me up,” Mikey replied, drawing a soft chuckle from his brother. 

Taking on a serious tone, Karai looked at Leo again. “I will not do anything illegal with the mutagen. Chaplin is looking in to different applications for it. I want to atone for the crimes the Foot has committed in the past. Finding a cure to some horrific disease would only be a start. Do I have your trust in this, Leonardo?”

With a slight nod, Leo answered, “You do.”

“Thank you,” Karai bowed. When she straightened back out the smile was back. “Since you are here, how about a little training? I am having a hard time finding someone skilled enough to spar with me lately. It is tedious and boring to start a fight that I know I am going to win.”

“I would be honored,” Leo smiled in return. 

“Would you two mind if I wandered around for a little bit while you two played?” Mikey asked, backing up to the door. “I’m not really in the mood for more training. Maybe I’ll hit the cafeteria and get myself some of that soft serve ice cream.”

Leo looked to Karai, who nodded her head. “I have no secrets from you. You are free to go where you like. I’m sure you remember your way to the cafeteria.”

“I can find my way with my eyes closed,” Mikey replied, making his way out the door. “Call me when you’re done,” he called back to Leo as he started to run down the hall. 

Mikey ran through the halls on a direct route to the cafeteria. An ice cream station was not something one would expect to see in the lair of a villain. It left Mikey to wonder if Shredder had actually supplied it for the Foot or if it was something Karai had added when she took over. Either way, it was Mikey’s favorite part. 

There were a few Foot soldiers in the cafeteria and they didn’t seem to mind when Mikey entered. A few of them waved at him and he waved back on his way to the ice cream. During the time that the Turtles had stayed at the Foot compound, they usually ate together and the Foot left them alone. So they never really made any friends. 

Picking up the biggest bowl he could get his hands on, Mikey placed some pieces of gingerbread in the bottom before heading to the ice cream machine. He then topped it with vanilla soft serve, whipped cream and caramel. 

Sitting at the nearest empty table, Mikey started into what he knew would only be his first bowl. He wasn’t able to take his first bite before one of the mutated ninja sat across from him. He was a large cat of some sort. Mikey had no clue which one though. They all looked the same to him. He could have been a house cat for all he knew. Mikey stopped with the spoon held up near his mouth and smiled. “Hi,” he said then took the bite. 

“I have fought you many times but now I am to view you as an ally,” the ninja said. 

“Tell me about it, cat dude,” Mikey sighed after swallowing. “Imagine what it’s like for us. We had to trust someone, who had tried multiple times in the past to kill us, to save our brother. That was a nerve racking time for all of us.”

“I’m a puma,” the ninja corrected. 

“Do you like being a mutant now?” Mikey asked after taking another bite. 

The ninja nodded, “I am faster, stronger and more agile than I was as a human. I do not regret my decision to volunteer.”

“Do you ever miss the life you had?” Mikey asked. “It can’t be easy finding a girlfriend like this.”

“I already had one before this,” the ninja shrugged. “She’s okay with it.”

“Lucky,” Mikey mumbled. 

“I just wanted you to know that the transition into viewing you as an ally was not a hard one,” the ninja insisted. “Most of us who are still with the Foot see how evil Shredder actually was. We were honestly kept in the dark about a lot of things, and lied to about so much more. The ones who actually enjoyed doing bad things have left and joined the Purple Dragons.”

“It’s comforting to know that we don’t have to look out for the Foot anymore,” Mikey admitted. “It will take us a little while to fully trust you.”

“I understand,” the ninja nodded. “I’ll let you get back to your ice cream.”

The ninja moved to stand but then Mikey found himself saying, “Wait,” causing the ninja to stop. “We can talk a bit more, if you want. You never told me your name.”

“Steve,” the ninja answered, sitting back down. 

They sat talking about nothing in particular while Mikey had his fill of ice cream. Others eventually joined them and Mikey ended up telling them about different adventures he had been on. They listened to his stories with rapt attention and it felt good to be able to tell someone about things he had experienced. 

He was just finishing up how he had won the Nexus tournament when his shell-cell rang. “Aww,” Mikey moaned as he answered. “I think it’s time to go.”

“We’ll continue the stories next time,” Steve said. 

“Yeah,” Mikey nodded, surprised at how much he didn’t want to leave. “We will definitely have to come back sometime. Bye guys.”

The Foot ninjas said their goodbyes and Mikey headed out to find Leo. They met in the hall then left the compound together. “Did you enjoy your ice cream?” Leo asked as soon as they got outside. 

“I did,” Mikey answered, nodding his head. “Did you enjoy your bout with your girlfriend?”

Leo stopped, making Mikey have to stop as well. “Please don’t tease. You’re not the only one who desires a more meaningful relationship. I admire Karai but I’m not in love with her. Besides that… she has married Chaplin. She… She is expecting.”

“Sorry,” Mikey said in a small voice. “I didn’t mean to upset you.”

“I know,” Leo sighed. “It’s okay. Let’s go home.”

Their run home was done in silence.


	13. Obsession

TMNT 100 Theme  
Chapter 13  
Obsession

With Snow in his arms, Leatherhead entered Donny’s lab to find his love using a hand drill to bolt a large piece of Plexiglas over the portal opening. Looking over at the desk, Leatherhead could see scattered pieces of equipment in various degrees of completion. A pair of inferred goggles was disassembled and extra pieces were lying next to them. They were going to be modified in some way but Leatherhead couldn’t figure out how. 

The room was a scene of organized chaos, a sign that Donatello was overworking himself. Leatherhead knew better than to touch anything. Donatello knew where everything was and to move one thing would throw him off. If there was one thing that could set Donatello off it would be moving something. 

“You should take a break, my love,” Leatherhead said, walking over and placing his hand on Donny’s shoulder. “You look tired.”

Don shook his head, “I’m almost done with this and then I need to figure out a way to get back through the portal once someone has gone through it.”

“Why?” Leatherhead asked with a little more disappointment than he intended. “If you have covered the doorway what is the point in making a device for entering the portal. You said all you wanted to do was observe the other universes not go into them.”

“I’m working on the device so that if someone still managed to fall through the portal then there is a way to get them back out.” Donatello stood up and knocked on the covering. “This is strong but it’s not infallible. I want to be prepared for anything. I would never forgive myself if someone was lost through it.”

“Alright,” Leatherhead sighed. “There is no danger as long as the device is off. You should take a break. You don’t need to get everything done at once. Let’s go spend some time together. April has brought over some new toys for Snow. They look like they are educational.”

“You know that I won’t be able to get any sleep until I am able to get everything figured out. I will be going through different probabilities and I will worry that something bad is going to happen.” Donatello turned to look at Leatherhead. “I am so close to being finished with this. I just need a little more time.”

“You are always close to being finished,” Leatherhead retorted. His words had a little bit of a bite to them. “There is always a new problem that comes up or something that needs to be tweaked. It’s never finished.” 

“You’re right,” Donatello snapped back. “My projects are never finished. I always have to repair something. It’s been that way for a long time and it is not something that is going to change anytime soon. I’m sorry if my time is strained.”

Taking a few deep breaths, Leatherhead kept himself from losing his temper. “Time is going to get away from you and before you know it Snow is going to be grown. You will have missed your opportunity to bond with her. Then you will find yourself wondering why she isn’t interested in spending time with you. And you will be full of regret.”

“Don’t try to use her to guilt me,” Donny growled. “My work keeps her safe.”

“I’m not trying to guilt you,” Leatherhead snapped back and then struggled to keep his calm. “I am only trying to warn you. Did you know that she is sitting up on her own now? That she is trying to crawl? That she is pulling herself up and trying to stand? She is growing so fast and you are missing it.”

“I have a never ending list of things that need to be done and it gets added to on a daily basis. Do you think I want to spend every waking moment in my lab? I would love to play that video game system that I spent two days repairing. To enjoy time out of the lair that isn’t a patrol run. I barely manage to get some precious moments with you.” Donatello looked at Snow and Leatherhead swore that he saw resentment in his eyes. “I have many obligations that keep me from the things that I enjoy.” It was like he didn’t want anything to do with her. “I just want a little bit of time for myself.” Leatherhead had no idea what had happened. When Snow was born, Donny acted like she was the center of his world but not anymore. 

Leatherhead held Snow out to Don, “Hold your daughter.”

“My hands are dirty,” Donny said, backing away. 

“Then wash them and come hold your daughter.”

Donny scoffed and Leatherhead could see that he was trying to think of a reason not to hold her. “I… I need a shower. I’ve got stuff all over me. I don’t want her breathing any of it in.”

“Why don’t you want to hold her?”

“I never said that I didn’t want to hold her,” Donny said, acting offended. “I simply said that I am covered in filth and that I don’t want to get her sick.”

Leatherhead was having a hard time understanding Donatello. Why did it seem like he was rejecting his daughter? “You need to spend time with her.”

“Yes,” Don snapped. “I know. You keep telling me. You don’t need to keep badgering me about it. I’m sorry that I have been busy. This is the first time that I have managed to free up some time for myself. It just so happens that I hadn’t even touched the portal for three days. I was too afraid to turn it on and I had too much work to do. I’ve been working on other projects, projects that benefit the whole family. I finally had time and someone to go with me to the dump where I was able to find a big enough piece of Plexiglas and the tech I would need to build the devices need to get back through the portal. This is the first time I have been able to work on it. I just want a little bit of time to myself before I have to get back to the things that I have to do.”

“She is not an obligation, she is your daughter. You haven’t spent time with Snow in weeks.” Leatherhead pointed out, his heart breaking as the reality of the situation struck him. “I just wish that you would get as lost in your daughter as you do in your projects. She needs you.”

“She was forced on me,” Don snapped, his words choking in his throat as tears filled his eyes. Leatherhead could see that Donny regretted the words as he said them but that it was something that he needed to say. “I wasn’t ready for this. I’m not ready to be a parent. I don’t know how to raise a child. I would make a lousy parent. Everyone else does a better job with her.”

Donny shook his head and sat down, hiding his face in his hands. “Her crying annoys me and she always does it when I’m trying to sleep. She needs so much attention. I don’t like being alone with her and I don’t know why. Part of me just wants her gone so we can all go back to the way we were.”

Leatherhead stood listening to Donny confession, realizing that he was wrong. He hooked his finger under Don’s chin and lifted it so that Don was looking up at him. “Why didn’t I see it before?” 

“What?” Donny asked, his voice weak and broken. 

“I think that it is possible that you are depressed,” Leatherhead ran his thumb over Donny’s cheek. “Maybe we should go see one of the Foot psychologists.” 

Wide, tear filled eyes looked up at Leatherhead. “You think I’m depressed?”

Leatherhead nodded, “It is likely that, as a result of the birth, there are hormones in you that your body isn’t used to. Postpartum depression is caused by an imbalance of hormones and can happen any time within the first year after giving birth. This happened to you suddenly and you were already under a lot of stress as it was. You’ve thrown yourself into your project as a way to cope with it.”

“Oh, Kroki. Are you mad at me?” Donny asked, unable to maintain eye contact with Leatherhead. 

“No,” Leatherhead soothed. “I’m sorry that I didn’t realize it sooner and let it get this bad. Are you willing to come with me to get the help you need?”

Donny nodded and Leatherhead helped him stand. “Good. I will get a few things for Snow and we will be on our way.”

“Okay,” Donny replied. He looked deflated. “I’ll get a few things together.”

Leatherhead nuzzled Donatello then turned and left the lab to seek out Leonardo. Even though his mind was made up and there was nothing that would stop him, Leatherhead was going to at least show Leonardo respect he deserved as the clan leader and ask permission before they left. 

He headed down the stairs to the dojo in hopes of finding Leo there. Luck would have it Leo was helping Raph with his workout, acting as spotter while Raph bench pressed. Leo looked up as Leatherhead walked in but stayed ready to grab the bar at a moment’s notice. 

“We need to talk,” Leatherhead stated, heading towards them. 

“Alright,” Leo nodded to indicate that he was listening. 

“I need to take Donatello to the Foot headquarters,” Leatherhead said, getting straight to the point. “I have come to believe that he… is depressed.”

Raph stopped lifting and sat up to look at Leatherhead. “You think Donny’s depressed?”

“He is showing multiple signs of postpartum depression,” Leatherhead nodded. “I am worried for his mental wellbeing and his ability to bond with Snow. I want him to get a psych evaluation from the Foot clan’s doctors. While we’re there I will get Snow a checkup with Doctor Chaplin. We might spend a few nights there for observation.”

“Why don’t you and Donny go and leave Snow here,” Raph said as he stood up. “I don’t want her there. I’ll take care of her. She sleeps better with me.”

“She will be safe there,” Leatherhead countered. “If they had any intention to harm her, they would have already. And she is in need of a checkup. She might also be needed in Donatello’s therapy. I assure you, she will not leave my sight. Please, don’t fight me on this.”

“I have no problems with you going to the Foot headquarters with Don and Snow.” Leo said stepping forward. “If you think there is something wrong with Donny then I want you to do everything you can to make sure he is alright.” He placed his hand on Raph’s shoulder, preventing the hothead from moving towards Leatherhead. “It will be alright, Raph.”

“If anything happens to them…,” Raph growled as he stared Leatherhead down.

“I understand,” Leatherhead said with a slight nod then turned to Leonardo. “Thank you.” Leonardo nodded his head in response and Leatherhead left. It was almost night time and he wanted to leave as soon as the sun was down. 

….

Leonardo watched, waiting for Leatherhead to leave before turning to Raph. “It will be okay,” Leo assured him. “We can trust Karai.”

“Can we?” Raph huffed, shrugging Leo’s hand off. “She’s tricked us before. She’s tried to kill us several times.”

Leave it to Raph to throw out the same old arguments. Leo was getting sick of it. “I remember all that has happened… in the past… but all of that happened years ago, she is a different person now. She saved your life. If this is some kind of trick, it is an elaborate one and I don’t see any point to it.”

“If you wanna join the Foot, Leo, then go on ahead and do it but you will never get me to kneel to Karai.”

“We go as a family or we don’t go at all.” Leo had no intention of splitting up the family. If anything he would maintain his friendship with Karai and the alliance with the Foot. “But just so you know. We would be her elite, her advisors. She would put all of her trust and the security of the Foot, in us.”

“She still has her secrets,” Raph said. 

Before Raph was done talking, Leo said, “We all have out secrets. I’m sure there are a few things you are not telling me but I would still trust you with my life. When Karai saw how far Shredder was willing to go, just to destroy us, she realized that following him was wrong. She is working to better the Foot.”

“There is no way I will ever join the Foot.” Raph jabbed Leo in the chest with his finger. “Get that through your thick head. It ain’t gonna happen. Ever.”

“I get it Raph,” Leo said, pushing Raph’s hand away. “Don’t worry. I won’t bring it up again. We’ll stay here, below ground, alone, secluded from the rest of the world. It’s our fate, right?”

Leo turned to leave and Raph called out after him. “I would rather be secluded from the rest of the world than throw my hat in with the devil.”


	14. Dying

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> This was inspired by a picture done by KameChuu ---> [here](http://kamechuu.deviantart.com/art/The-gangs-all-Here-411976402#cutidl) So there is a lof of sadness.

TMNT 100 Theme  
Chapter 14  
Dying

 

Mikey entered the kitchen and headed straight for the refrigerator. Raph was at the sink, rinsing and sorting beans. “Don’t touch that ham,” he warned. “I’m putting the beans to soak tonight and I will need the ham when I cook them tomorrow.”

“Can I have a little?” Mikey asked. 

“No,” came Raph’s immediate answer. “You don’t know how to show restraint. I let you start picking on that thing and the next thing we know, all that’s left is the bone.” He turned to glare at Mikey. “Don’t touch it.”

“Fine,” Mikey sighed, closing the refrigerator. “I’ll make myself some ramen.” He filled a pot with some water and set it on the range. “So, I heard you got to see some of the other dimensions.”

“I did,” Raph nodded. “It was a little uncomfortable.”

“Yeah,” Mikey chuckled. “Leatherhead told me about the one where you and Don were doing it.” Raph only grunted in response and shook his head. Mikey added the noodles and the flavor packets to the boiling water. “I kinda wanna see a few for myself.”

“You’ll have to wait for Donny to get back home.” Raph replied and Mikey could hear the bitterness in his voice. It was no secret that Raph hated the fact that Leatherhead had taken Don to the Foot Clan for treatment, and hated it even more that Leatherhead took Snow with them. They had been gone for almost two weeks and Raph’s anger over it grew every day. 

Mikey didn’t want to let Raph linger on the thought for long. So he chose to shock him out of it. “Do I,” Mikey grinned, causing Raph to look at him. He didn’t know where he was going with it but at least Raph didn’t look angry. 

Raph’s eye narrowed. “Yeah you do. Only Donny knows how to work that thing.”

“We’ll see. But first I wanna eat my lunch.” Mikey took the pot off the burner and headed into the dining cart to eat his lunch. He needed the time to think it all through. It wasn’t long before Raph followed him and sat down at the table across from Mikey. 

“What did you mean by, ‘we’ll see’?” Raph asked, looking Mikey in the eye. Raph took the bait now all Mikey had to do was keep him entertained.

“I’m just gonna turn it on,” Mikey answered with a shrug. “And then start pushing a few buttons to see what happens.” He honestly hadn’t considered doing it before that moment but now that he had thought about it, he really wanted to. It left him wondering why he hadn’t thought of it before. 

Raph let out a sigh as he leaned back in his chair. “What, you wanna get lost in another dimension?”

Mikey snorted, “There is a big piece of plastic covering the portal. There is no way I’m gonna get sucked in.”

“Famous last words,” Raph quipped. 

“Do you wanna come with me?” Mikey asked, flashing his best smile. 

Raph shrugged, “Yeah sure. But only so I can watch you and tell Don what you did so he can figure out a way to save you when you get stuck in another world.”

Mikey slurped up the rest of his noodles then said through a full mouth, “That was a great show.”

Raph rubbed the bridge of his beak, “You’re thinking of A Different World.”

Mikey stood up with the pot in his hands, “You sure there wasn’t a show called Another World?”

“Not that we watched,” Raph said as he stood up. “You’re thinking about the show that took place in a college and was, like, a spinoff of The Cosby Show, right?”

“Yeah,” Mikey nodded. 

“That’s A Different World.”

“Oh,” Mikey headed over to the door that led back into the kitchen. “I liked that show.” He entered the kitchen, cleaned the pot and then set it out to dry. He started to head to his room but then remembered that he wanted to mess with Don’s portal and turned around. 

Raph was waiting for him just outside the dining cart, “You almost forgot didn’t you.”

“You distracted me with all that talk about TV shows,” Mikey replied with his chin up as he passed by Raph on his way to the stairs. “You’re plan didn’t work.”

“I didn’t have a plan,” Raph scoffed. “You were the one who started talking about TV shows.”

“Whatever,” Mikey shrugged, taking the stairs two at a time. “We’ve got something better than TV waiting for us in Donny’s lab.”

“Only if you can figure out how to make it work,” Raph called up after him as he followed behind. 

Once they were in Don’s lab, Mikey headed straight for the portal device. “All I gotta do is turn it on. Right?” He sat down and looked up at Raph, who only shrugged in response. Mikey pressed a few buttons before he found the one that had the machine coming to life. A smile spread across Mikey’s face as he looked over at the portal. 

Raph walked over to stand in front of the portal with his arms crossed. They were watching one of Donny’s counterparts. Not a lot was happening. It looked like Donny was fixing a computer. It would have been a boring sight if it wasn’t for the way that Donatello looked. He looked nothing like the Donatello from their world. He was tall and slender but still strong with gear strapped to his back and glasses. 

Raph and Mikey stood there watching him, fascinated by the way he looked and hoped that one of the others would soon make an appearance. It wasn’t long before that world’s Raph walked in. Mikey’s eyes went wide. “Dude, you are huge in that world.”

“I don’t believe what I’m seeing,” Raph mumbled. He gestured to his counterpart, “What’s with the headband? And the toothpick? And the loincloth?” 

“I think he looks cool,” Mikey said in awe. 

“You would,” Raph grunted then looked at Mikey. “See if you can figure out how to change the channel.”

With a nod, Mikey headed back over to the control panel and started pressing buttons. “Let’s see what this does.” The image in the portal shifted and they saw another Donatello. “It looks like the device is keyed in to find all the Donatellos in the multiverse.”

“That’s fine,” Raph shrugged and turned back to the portal. 

This Donatello looked like their Donny and the world didn’t look much different. They watched for a few moments before Mikey got bored with it and pressed the button to switch to a new world. Nothing was really happening from world to world. Most of the Donatellos were working in their labs, a few were having sex, and one was in the middle of a fight. They stayed on that one for a while to see the action but once it was finished, they moved on. 

“This isn’t as fun as I thought it would be,” Mikey sighed as he pressed the button again. He was about to give up and turn the device off but something about the world they were looking in on didn’t seem right. He walked up to the portal and looked through. Donatello was lying on the floor with robot versions of his brothers moving around the lair. 

A wave of dread washed over Mikey and he looked up at Raph. “Why are his brothers robots?”

“He looks like he has given up on life,” Raph answered. “I wonder what happened. He’s just lying there.”

Mikey looked at the scene through the portal. The Mikey robot placed a plate of food down next to Donatello who didn’t even acknowledge it. Mikey felt his heart sink, “He’s dying.” Stepping back from the portal, Mikey started to look around the room. “We gotta get him out of there.”

Raph turned from the portal and looked at Mikey, “What?”

“We gotta get him out of there,” Mikey repeated. “We can’t let him die.”

“Mikey, we don’t know how this thing works,” Raph pointed out and grabbed Mikey by the shoulder. “Mikey, stop. You can’t save him.”

Mikey pulled from Raph’s grip, “No! I’m going to try.”

“What if you get stuck in there?” Raph asked as Mikey found the power drill. “This is crazy!”

“At least he won’t be alone anymore,” Mikey answered. “If I can’t get back through, just turn off the portal and tell Don what I did when he gets back. I’m sure he will be able to save me.” Mikey worked as quickly as he could to remove the bolts holding the Plexiglas in place. Once he had it removed, he stood in front of the portal and looked back a Raph. “Maybe if you stick your hand through the portal, I’ll be able to grab it and you can pull me back through.”

“It can’t be that simple. What if I can’t,” Raph asked, trying to hold back his tears. He grabbed hold of Mikey. “We can’t lose you, Mikey.”

“I have faith that Donny will be able to get me back,” Mikey smiled. He pointed to the Donatello on the other side of the portal. “He needs someone now.” With that, Mikey pulled his arm out of Raph’s grip and stepped through the portal. 

The first thing that hit him was the smell. Rotten food sat in the kitchen and Donatello looked like he hadn’t bathed in days. Mikey walked up to Donatello and knelt down next to him. He placed his hand on Don’s shoulder, causing him to jump. “I’m gonna get you out of here,” Mikey soothed. 

Donatello’s glazed over eyes moved to look up at Mikey and he said in a thick voice, “Am I dead?”

“No,” Mikey whispered. He moved to pick Donatello up and that was when he discovered the items clutched in his hands. Mikey made sure to collect the picture and Tessen as well when he lifted Donatello. He saw a bo staff leaning against the wall and walked over to collect that as well. It was awkward but Mikey managed to carry it all.

Looking back in the direction of where he had come through the portal, Mikey shouted. “I’m ready.”

Raph’s hand appeared out of nowhere and Mikey rushed towards it. As soon as Mikey was close enough, Raph grabbed him and started to pull. Mikey’s heart pounded in his chest as he moved forward. A wave of relief washed over him as he felt the tingle of the portal. In a blink he was through. 

Raph looked down at the other world’s Donatello. “He looks in bad shape.”

“I’m taking him to Master Splinter,” Mikey said and headed out of the lab. “You call April,” he called back to Raph. “She’s the closest thing we have to a doctor right now.”

Mikey passed Leo on his way to the dojo and the leader of their clan stopped mid step as he processed what he had seen. “Was that Donny?” he asked as he turned to follow Mikey. 

“He’s a Donny from another world,” Mikey answered without stopping. “He was alone and dying.”

“How did you get him through the portal?”

“I’ll explain later,” Mikey shot back as he entered the dojo. “Master Splinter!” he called out and placed Donatello on a mat. 

Donatello looked around the room in weak confusion. “Where am I?”

“I brought you through a portal into my world,” Mikey explained.

“Oh,” Donatello replied, looking at Mikey. “That would explain why you look different.”

“You’re gonna be okay now,” Mikey said with a rush of emotion. “You’re not alone anymore.”

Donatello started to cry. Raspy sobs shook his body and he held the items closer to his chest. Mikey hoped that was a good sign. That meant that he hadn’t fully shut down. “I don’t deserve to be alive,” Donatello sobbed, and curled into a ball. 

“Everything is going to be okay,” Mikey soothed as Splinter came out of his room. 

“What is going on,” Splinter demanded. 

Raph rushed into the dojo, “I called April. She’s on her way. She said that if it looks bad enough she is going to drive him to Foot headquarters for treatment. She said she would call Karai. I didn’t even know she had Karai’s number. Are they friends now?”

Splinter rushed over and knelt down next to Mikey. “Who is this?”

“Donatello from another dimension,” Mikey answered. “He was alone and dying on the floor. I couldn’t just leave him there. I rushed through the portal and Raph was able to get us out by sticking his hand through.”

“You are lucky that worked,” Splinter chided him. “You could have been lost to us.”

“But at least he wouldn’t have been alone anymore,” Mikey said, pointing to Donatello. “We gotta help him.”

Splinter sighed and rested his hand on Donatello’s head. “He has suffered great loss. I can sense his anguish.” He caressed Donatello’s cheek. “I know you are hurting but even though you have lost a great deal, all is not lost. You can still lead a full life. We are here to help you heal, if you let us. Whatever happens, you are not going to be alone.”

While Splinter spoke to Donatello, Mikey looked him over. He was different than they were. His hands were bigger than Mikey’s and he had bridges across his sides, connecting his plastron to his carapace. His feet were wide with three toes and his head was a little rounder. There was no chance that this Donatello would be mistaken for their Donatello. 

They all sat in silence while Donatello continued to cry. Splinter stayed by his side offering a comforting touch. By the time April and Casey arrived, Donatello had settled down and was once again staring off at nothing. 

April walked around Donatello and sat on the opposite side as Splinter. After looking Donatello over, she started digging though her bag. “I don’t even want to know how you managed to find another Donatello. You would think that after seeing you guys turn into dragons and travel through time that there would be nothing left to surprise me. I was mistaken.”

“Do you think he is going to be okay?” Leo asked. 

April glanced up at him and pulled some supplies from her bag. “Physically, all he needs is some fluids and food. Mentally, I’m not so sure. I’m inserting an IV to help his body heal. The rest is up to him.”

Mikey reached down and grabbed hold of Donatello’s hand. “Please, don’t give up.”


	15. Silence

TMNT 100 Theme  
Chapter 15  
Silence

 

Donatello from the other dimension sat in the dojo, staring off at nothing. Raph watched him and wondered what their Donatello was going to say when he saw his counterpart and found out what Mikey had done. It was not going to be good for his fragile psyche. 

It was a difficult situation that they were in. Was it fair to keep the new Donatello in their world? Could they really bring themselves to send him back, knowing that it was a death sentence?

Raph wondered what had happened to Donatello’s brothers but knew better than to ask. He wanted to do something to help him through his grief not make him relive the trauma. 

Raph walked over and sat down next to Donatello. The other turtle glanced over at him. Raph could tell by the way Donatello looked at him that he was curious about all of Raph’s scars. 

“I did something stupid,” Raph said, tracing his finger along one of his scars. “Leo and I got in a fight and I went out alone to vent my anger. I took on more than I could handle. I almost died because of it. Now, I ain’t so pretty anymore.”

Donatello looked Raph over and then went back to staring at the floor. 

Raph wanted to pull him into a hug but had to remind himself that this Donatello wasn’t his brother. They didn’t know each other. He couldn’t be so familiar with him. “I don’t know what happened but I know one thing, if your brother is anything like me he would want you to live your life. He wouldn’t want you to... give up.”

Tears streaked down Donatello’s cheeks as he continued to look at the floor. 

“We don’t want to replace your brothers,” Raph said and placed his hand on Donatello’s shoulder. “We could never do that. But you’re not alone anymore. You can train with us, live with us, and maybe learn to enjoy life again. If you were my brother, I know that is what I would want for you.”

Mikey walked into the dojo carrying a plate of food. “I brought your dinner,” he declared and set the plate in front of Donatello. “It was my turn to cook dinner so rest assured that it is good.” Raph smiled at that. Mikey was a decent enough cook. He stuck to casseroles since they were easy to assemble and just throw in the oven. Tonight it was a casserole of chicken, rice, and broccoli. 

Donatello looked down at the plate, picked up the fork and started pushing the food around. Mikey’s grin turned into a look of concern. “Please eat.”

Donatello collected a little up on his fork and took a bite. The smile returned to Mikey’s face. After Donatello managed to take a few more bites Raph got up. “I’m going to get a plate before it’s all gone.” He left Mikey to watch over Donatello and headed to the dinning car. 

After Dinner it was Raph’s turn to do the dishes and clean the kitchen. It was always easy to clean up after Mikey due to the fact that he didn’t use a lot of dishes in his prep work and cooking. By the time he was done, Donatello was asleep in the dojo. Splinter was meditating next to him, using his orb which meant that he was ‘visiting’ with his Master Yoshi. 

With Donatello asleep, Raph decided to go to his room and call it a night. He did a few pushups and then read a book before crawling into his hammock. After a few hours of sleep, Raph was awoken by a sound coming from the dojo. He got up to investigate, moving slow due to some stiffness in his joints. 

By the time he stepped into the dojo, his body was moving well enough that the stiffness wasn’t noticeable. He saw Donatello twitching on the floor in a fitful nightmare. It was expected. He was probably reliving his brother’s deaths. Splinter was sitting near him in an attempt to offer comfort. 

“Stop,” Donatello pleaded in his sleep. “Please, stop.”

Raph walked over and knelt down next to Donatello, placing his hand on his shoulder. Donatello’s eyes snapped open. When he saw Raph he screamed and pulled back. Raph inwardly cursed himself for being so stupid. He would be a frightening sight to see after a nightmare. “It’s alright,” he soothed. 

Donatello’s eyes darted around the room for a moment before settling on Raph again. He took a few steading breaths and then nodded his head, curling back up in a ball. 

“Come on,” Raph said, nudging Donatello. “You’re gonna sleep in with me. You shouldn’t be sleeping by yourself.”

Donatello glanced up at Raph then shifted his gaze back to the floor as he thought. After a moment he nodded and let Raph help him stand. Raph looked at Splinter, who smiled softly and nodded his head, and then Raph led Donatello out of the dojo. 

Donatello’s eyes went wide when he saw the immaculate stairwell. “Someone will give you a tour of the lair in the morning,” Raph said as they crossed the platform. “We live in an old, forgotten subway station. It’s actually one of the pretest places we have lived.”

He took Donatello into his room and helped him up into the hammock. It was big enough for the two of them but they had to curl around each other. As they lay there Donatello traced some of the scars along Raph’s plastron and down his arms. After a while Donatello drifted off to sleep again. 

….

In the morning, Mikey burst into Raph’s room. “Raph, he’s gone! Oh.” Mikey’s eyes fell on Donatello, who was holding Raph in a death grip. “Sorry. I didn’t mean to scare you. I went into the dojo to get you and you weren’t there so I panicked. I thought you ran away or something.”

“He was having nightmares so I brought him in here with me,” Raph explained. 

“Good,” Mikey nodded. “This is good.” He walked over and helped Donatello out of the hammock. “Breakfast is ready. Leo’s cooking so it’s gonna be good. He likes to go all out.” Mikey looked down at Raph. “You coming?”

“You go ahead,” Raph waved them away. “I’m a little stiff in the morning. I’ll join you in a bit.”

“Okay,” Mikey replied and led Donatello out of the room. “We each take turns cooking,” Mikey explained. “We rotate out with breakfast, dinner, and dishes and we are on our own for lunch. You also have to clean up your own mess from lunch. You’ll be added to the rotation eventually.”

Mikey opened the door to the dining car, “Our Don fixed up this old subway train as a kitchen and dining room. Pretty cool, huh?” Donatello nodded as Mikey urged him into the dining cart. “Sit down. Leo will be bringing breakfast out in a little bit.”

Donatello sat at the long table and just started off at nothing. Mikey sat across from him and drummed his fingers on the table before saying, “I’ll give you a tour of the lair after breakfast.” Donatello looked up at Mikey and simply nodded his response before returning his gaze to the table. 

They were eventually joined by Leo, Splinter, and Raph. Mikey watched as Donatello picked at his food with an occasional bite. At least he was eating some of it. 

“If you like,” Splinter offered, “you can join us for training today. I would like to assess your skills.”

Again Donatello nodded but said nothing. 

“We start training an hour after breakfast,” Splinter told him. “That will give you plenty of time to digest and be shown the lair.”

After breakfast Mikey pulled Donatello into the kitchen with him to help with the dishes. Leo had offered to give Donatello the tour of the lair but Mikey insisted that it be him. Together they finished cleaning the kitchen in no time. 

“So,” Mikey said as they stepped out of the kitchen. “This is a really old subway station that lost funding and was forgotten about. Lucky us, because this baby was made back when they went for a standard of artistic beauty.”

He pointed down the tunnel. “Both ends of the tunnels are sealed but they have secret doors that lead out to the sewers. That’s how we get in and out. There are a few unused storage closets down there.” They stood on the platform and Mikey pointed to each side. “Those are the bedrooms and that is the dojo. Master Splinter’s room is in there.”

Mikey grabbed hold of Donatello’s hand and led him up the first flight of stairs. “On the first landing is Don’s lab. The portal device that I used to bring you here is in there. Don also sleeps in there with Leatherhead.” Donatello looked at Mikey with a wide eyed look of surprise. Mikey chuckled, “Yeah, Don has a thing for large crocs. They’ve been together for a while now. Don’s not here now because he had some sort of mental break down. One of our enemies captured him and put this weird uterus thing in him and he had a baby…. You’ll get the full story later. On with the tour.”

Mikey tugged Donatello up the second flight of stairs. “Over there is the entertainment room. Master Splinter is in there now, watching his stories. The real reason we get a full hour break after breakfast. On the other side are the bathrooms. They used to be men’s and women’s bathrooms but we’re all boys here. So what used to be the women’s restroom now has a large shower and the former men’s restroom has a hot tub. Both still have toilets.”

He pointed up the last flight of stairs. “Up there would have led to the street if it wasn’t sealed off. Don said that he erased all records of this place and put in something about the area that marks it as a bad spot for development. So where not going to be found any time soon.”

With the tour over Mikey pulled Donatello into his room and showed him his collection of comics. He actually managed to get a small smile out of Donatello before he burst into tears. Mikey wrapped his arms around the taller turtle. “I’m sorry. I didn’t think. I probably did or said something that reminded you of your brother. Didn’t I?”

….

 

Mikey was right. His actions reminded Donnie so much of his brother that it had brought him to tears. He didn’t know if he was going to be able to handle it. It was hard. He could see his brothers in each of them. They would serve as a constant reminder of what he had lost. How was he going to be able to recover?

For a short time he had thought that they had brought him there because they had lost their Donatello but he was corrected when Mikey told him where their Donatello was. He wasn’t looking forward to the awkward day where he met his counterpart. What if his counterpart hated the fact that he was there?

He let himself cry his sorrow out on Mikey’s shoulder. Despite the few similarities there were several differences and Donnie tried to focus on those. This Mikey’s skin was darker, he lacked freckles, and his hands were smaller. Donnie wondered how much easier things would be if his hands were that small. He would have still had the limitation of just three fingers but at least they were more like human hands than what he had. 

After Donnie had managed to calm himself down, Mikey suggested that they head to the dojo. Silently Donnie agreed and followed Mikey across the platform. Raph was already in the dojo, lifting weights and Leo was acting as his spotter. 

Donnie looked around and found his bo leaning against the wall. As he walked over to get it he noticed his counterpart’s bo. Part of him wanted to hold it, see how it felt compared to his but decided against it. Instead he walked over to the center of the dojo and waited for their Master Splinter. 

As he waited he looked around the room, studding it to see if he could get to know them better. There were a few pictures lining the walls and some artifacts on shelves. His heart skipped a beat when he saw Shredder’s helmet. Did that mean that they had defeated him?

When Splinter entered the dojo, the others took their position on the floor and Donnie joined them. Splinter led them through simple warm up katas first. It had been a while since Donnie had actually trained but he was pleased with himself and how quickly his body remembered. After their warm up, Splinter moved to more difficult katas and Donnie managed to keep up with the others. 

Splinter then had them break off individually to go over specific katas one by one. When it was Donnie’s turn Splinter asked him, “What is the most complex kata that you know?”

Without thinking, Donatello’s body started to move through the kata. The one Bradford had taught to Mikey that told them that Oroku Saki was in New York. The one that Oroku Saki had used in his fight against Splinter that led to their capture. He could never forget it. 

“That is an aggressive attack,” Splinter said once Donnie had finished. 

Fighting back his tears, Donnie could only nod his head. 

“That will be all for today,” Splinter said, dismissing his sons. “Donatello, come with me. There is something that I want to show you.”

Again Donnie nodded his head and followed after Splinter. He was led to a spot that was obviously used for meditation and was directed to sit down. Splinter placed an orb in front of Donnie. “I want you to meditate. Focus on the orb and think of your family.”

Donnie sighed and did as he was told. He never really liked meditation. It was a difficult task to settle his mind. He had found it hard to meditate before he had lost his family. After a few deep breaths he was able to push away the sorrow and guilt long enough to enter in to a meditative state. He felt an energy reach out to him and he almost pulled away from it. Whatever it was, it was inviting so he welcomed it instead. 

Opening his third eye, he found himself in what he could only explain as a dense fog. But he didn’t feel alone. Someone was approaching. “Hello?” he called out. 

“I am here,” a familiar voice answered. 

His heart leaped into his throat, “Father?”

“Yes,” Splinter… no… Yoshi stepped out of the fog. “I am here.”

“Is it really you,” Donnie choked out, wrapping his arms around his father in a tight hug. “How is this even possible? You’re human again?”

Yoshi smiled down at Donnie and caressed his head, “The orb acts as a portal into the spiritual plane. A spirit can manifest itself however it wants to.”

“Hey! Don’t we get a hug?”

Donnie pulled away from his father and turned around to see his brothers. Mikey’s arms were opened wide. With tears in his eyes, Donnie rushed over to embrace them. “You’re here too?” He cried as he hugged each of them and he was overrun with guilt. “I’m sorry I have failed you.”

“You haven’t failed us, Donnie,” Raph soothed. “We’re not angry or disappointed in you. We didn’t want you to go back to avenge us. Shredder would have killed you.”

“But at least I would have died trying,” Donnie sobbed. “I just gave up. I’m a coward.”

“No. We do not want you to be consumed by the darkness that revenge brings. It would taint your soul,” Yoshi said, causing Donnie to turn around and face him. “Do not feel bad for us. You will see us again.”

“I will come in here a visit you as often as I can,” Donnie said. 

Leo chuckled. “Visiting us is fine and you can do it whenever you want, just don’t do it too often. Go out there and live your life.”

“Besides, we’re not gonna be here much longer anyway,” Mikey added and Raph swatted him.

“We can’t tell him too much.” 

Donnie felt his heart sink, “Where are you going?”

“Yeah,” Raph smiled and scratched the back of his head. “Apparently when you lead a good life and help others, you get to have a say in what happens next.”

“We have all chosen to be reborn,” Leo said. “Father is the first one who will be going. He only has a few more days.”

“But,” Donnie protested. “If you’re reborn then I’ll never see you again.”

“Donnie,” April said as she and Casey joined them. “We are all going to be born in the world you are in now. We were allowed to choose where we go. We will all see you again.”

Donnie looked at April and slowly walked over to her. “I have missed you so much,” he whispered. “Not a day has gone by that I haven’t thought of you. I played your last voice message over and over again.”

She wrapped her arms around him and held on tight, “You’ll see me again. I promise.”

“I’ll wait for you,” Donnie choked out. “I will never love anyone else.”

April pulled back enough to look Donnie in the eyes and she cupped his face in her hands. “I love you too, Donnie. It was so hard to choose between you and Casey. I know that when I chose him that it hurt you. It hurt me too. But I want you to let me go and try to find love again.”

Donnie blinked away his tears and kissed April’s wrist. “There are not many options out there for me. I know I will be considerably older but that’s okay. I’ll keep my distance until you’re eighteen. I don’t want anyone but you.”

April shook her head, “Please, Donnie. Don’t linger on me. It will only hurt you. Promise me that if the opportunity presents itself, you will take it.”

Donnie nodded, “But only if she is as wonderful as you.” Looking April in the eyes, Donnie asked, “Can I have one last kiss?” 

“Yes,” April smiled, pulling Donnie down to press her lips to his. He knew that it wasn’t really happening but it still made his heart beat faster. 

“How will I find you guys?” Donnie asked, pulling away from April and looking at his family. He wiped the tears from his eyes, amazed that he could cry so much in the spirit world. “I’ll be living in the sewers, hidden from most of the world. How will I know who you are?”

“You’ll know once you see us,” Leo answered. 

“Can’t you tell me where to find you, who you’ll be?” Donnie asked, turning back to Yoshi. 

Yoshi shook his head, “No. To tell you would be revealing too much about the future.”

Donnie turned to look at his brothers, “Will the three of you still be brothers?”

Raph shook his head, “No. But we will be close.”

“We decided to pick different parents,” Mikey chimed in. “We didn’t want to burden one with all the problems we are going to have.”

“Problems?” Donnie asked as Mikey received a swat to the back of the head by Raph. “What problems?”

Raph sighed and rubbed his eyes. For a moment Donnie swore that Raph’s eyes were gone and that there was blood coming out of his ear slits. “Our deaths were tragic,” Raph explained. “Our souls are scarred and that is going to carry over into our new lives. It’s taking a lot of our strength to keep them hidden from you now. This is why Casey hasn’t said anything it’s taking all of his concentration to look like that but he wanted to see you.”

Memories of Casey’s death flashed through Donnie’s mind. He could only imagine what problems he was going to carry with him into the next life.

“We’ve all chosen understanding parents,” Leo interjected, drawing Donnie from his thoughts. “I know I have chosen a great guy to be my dad. One who will name me ‘Ryan’. They might feel the burden of or problems at first but they will be able to work with them and help us through them.”

Donnie lifted an eye ridge, “Ryan?”

Leo blushed and twirled his fingers, “Yeah, you know, after Captain Ryan.”

“Dork,” Raph said with a chuckle and Leo only blushed more. 

“Are you going to be in some kind of clinic?” Donnie asked, trying to get as much information out of them as he could. “Is that how you are going to be close?”

“We have already said too much,” Yoshi interrupted. Grabbing Donnie’s hand he pulled him close. “There is someone I want you to meet before you have to go.”

As Yoshi spoke a woman joined them. Donnie knew who she was the moment he saw her. “That picture father had of you didn’t do you any justice. You are more beautiful in person.”

“It is a pleasure to finally get to meet you,” Shen smiled. “Yoshi has told me so much about you and your brothers speak highly of you as well.”

Donnie looked around, “What about the others? Leatherhead, Slash and Karai?”

“Leatherhead and Slash are here as well,” Yoshi answered. “They are also waiting to be reborn but Miwa is still alive.”

“She is?” Donnie choked on the words. What horrors could she be facing? “Where? Can you at least tell me that?”

“Saki has her in his dungeon,” Shen answered. 

“I’ll find a way to save her,” Donnie promised. “I’ll get her away from there and I will see if I can bring her here so she can see you before you have to go.”

“Be careful, my son,” Yoshi warned. “Do not try to save her alone. Have the others help you. I’m sure that they will be more than willing.”

Donnie nodded his head, “I will.” 

“Hey, Donnie?” Mikey said, drawing Don’s attention. When Donnie turned to look at him, Mikey looked uncertain and asked, “Are they nice? Our counterparts.”

Donnie shrugged, “I haven’t really had the chance to get to know them but they seem nice. They are all trying to make me feel welcome. They are a lot like you guys. Leonardo is the leader and is focused on his training. Raphael is huge, strong, and protective. Michelangelo is funny and he has a comic book collection. But they could never replace you guys.”

“They don’t have to,” Yoshi said. “You can keep a special place in your heart for us but also allow them in.”

Donnie nodded, “I know. I’ll try. I’m just… afraid. They have their own enemies. I don’t want to get attached to them only to lose them too.”

“I know how you feel,” Yoshi said, “When I lost my family I didn’t think that I would ever be able to love again. But then fate gave me you and your brothers. Do not let fear keep you from finding joy.” He pulled Donnie in to one final hug. “Now you must go.”

Donnie didn’t trust his voice so he responded with a tight nod. 

“I’m getting tired,” Mikey whimpered. 

Donnie turned to look at him but Raph and Leo where shielding him. “Go,” Raph said. “You don’t need to see him like this.”

“Go,” Yoshi repeated, placing his hand on Don’s shoulder. 

Donnie snapped out of his trance, opening his eyes to see the dimly lit dojo. Splinter was sitting nearby, his eyes studding Donnie waiting for him to react. Donnie took a steading breath then bowed to Splinter, “Thank you.”

“Did it help you find some closure?” Splinter stood and picked up the orb to place it back on its shelf. 

“It did,” Donnie nodded. 

“You are welcome to use it whenever you like… so long as it is not too often,” Splinter said with a touch of humor. 

Donnie smiled, “My family said the same thing.” He stood and watched Splinter cross the room. Clearing his throat, Donnie asked, “Do you think that you guys could help me with something?”

“What is it?” Splinter asked in return.

“I need help saving my sister.”


	16. Break Away

TMMT 100 Theme  
Chapter 16  
Break Away

 

Donnie stood in front of the portal with the others standing behind him. His heart pounded in his chest as he looked through the portal into his home. The robot versions of his brothers wandered through the lair aimlessly. 

“There are a few things I want to get,” Donnie mumbled. He looked over his shoulder at Mikey. “You have a good freezer, right?”

“Uh?” Mikey scratched the back of his head. “Yeah. Why?”

“My brother’s pet needs to be kept cold,” Donnie answered. The plan was to go into the lair first to get whatever Donnie wanted to keep before they tried to save Karai. There was a possibility that Shredder knew where the lair was. 

Leo walked up to Donnie and placed his hand on his shoulder. “I will go with you and help you carry whatever you want to bring. Raph and Mikey will stay here to help us get back out.”

Donnie nodded, took a deep breath and the stepped through the portal. The smell was different and the familiarity of it brought tears to his eyes. He knew it was the last time he was going to be there. He looked at Leo, “Take whatever you want. I’m going to my lab to get a few things.”

“Okay,” Leo nodded. “Do you want me to come with you?”

Donnie shook his head, “No. It’s okay.” He turned and headed into his lab. He felt numb as he walked and it was hard for him to keep his mind focused on the task. All he wanted to do was cry. Fishing though his supplies, Donnie found the one tube of retro-mutagen he had been saving. 

“I’m sorry I didn’t give this to you sooner,” Donnie said as he walked up to Timothy. “I couldn’t bring myself to do it. I made this for my father and I hid it from him. I wanted him to have it but at the same time… I didn’t. Maybe if I had given it to him, things would have been different.” Looking down at the tube, Donnie chuckled. “Who am I kidding? If I had tried to give this to Master Splinter, he would have told me to give it to you.”

Donatello poured the retro-mutagen into the tank. “Since you’re frozen, it will take a little while for it to work but you will defrost and be human again. Just find your way home and try to stay out of trouble.”

Moving around the lab, Donnie collected everything he thought he would need and things he didn’t want to fall into the wrong hands, including a few canisters of mutagen. He then took some time to write out a two notes. One was for Timothy, explaining what had happened. The other he was going to attach to the tree, just in case someone, someday found the lair. He wanted their story to be known. 

Once he was done, Donnie placed the note for Timothy where he would be able to find it, on top of a pile of clothes and then slung his bag over his shoulder and left the lab. When he entered the common room, Donnie saw Leo wandering through the room with a bag over his shoulder. Leo ran his hand across the pinball machine. “If Mikey was here, he would be trying to come up with a way to take this with us.”

Despite the tears in his eyes, Donnie chuckled softly, “My brother is… was… the same way. He would try to take all of the junk in his room, some pizza, and all the games. Did you find anything?”

Leo nodded and patted his bag, “A few useful things. I stayed out of the bedrooms though. It just seemed like a violation of their privacy.”

“You’re very kind,” Donnie softly smiled. “But they are gone. Go through every room, take anything that you find useful.”

Leo nodded and Donnie continued through the lair to collect what he could and turned off the robots. Sliding open the door to the dojo, Donnie steadied himself before going inside. When his eyes fell on the unfinished robot of his father, he felt his heart sink. He told himself that he would attack Shredder once he had completed all of the robots. He could never bring himself to finish the one of his father. So he set it to look like he was meditating. 

He hurried around the room, collecting all of the weapons. He just wanted to get it over with. He heard Leonardo enter the dojo and gasp, “Wow.”

“The tree is impressive, isn’t it,” Donnie said without turning around. “Do you think you can use these rugs?” 

“We could probably use them,” Leo nodded. “I’m sure my father would like a few of the decorations as well. We are still trying to make the lair a little more like a home.”

Donnie looked up at the entrance to Splinter’s room and froze. “Do you think you can go into that room there and look around for anything that can be salvaged? I don’t think I can bring myself to go in there.”

“Sure,” Leo said as he walked past Donnie. “Start rolling up the rugs and I’ll be right back.”

Leonardo entered Splinter’s room and Donnie got to work with the rugs. When Leo returned he handed Donnie a few framed pictures of his family. “There really wasn’t much in there worth salvaging. The tatami had seen better days. Your father kept his room pretty sparse. I thought you might want these though.”

“Thank you,” Donnie mumbled, accepting the pictures.

After the rugs were rolled up and the weapons were collected, Leo and Donnie started carrying things out of the room and placed them in a pile near the portal. As Leo carried the last of the items out of the room, Donnie left the note and one of the photos by the tree. 

Donnie exited the dojo to see Leo passing the items through the portal and went over to help. Once everything was passed though, Donnie turned back towards his lab. “There is one thing I want to check on and one more thing I need to get before we leave.”

“Okay,” Leo nodded. “I’ll wait.”

Donnie nodded in return and headed back to his lab. He looked in to check on Timmy’s progress and was pleased to see that he was human again, sleeping off the shock of the whole ordeal. “Take care of yourself,” Donnie whispered and then closed the door. He passed back through the common room and into the kitchen. 

“Are you ready for one of the strangest things you will ever see?” Donnie smiled past the pain as he opened the freezer. “My brother’s pet.” Ice Cream Kitty mewed when she saw Donnie and didn’t put up a fight as he pulled her out. Holding her out for Leo to see, Donnie said, “This is Ice Cream Kitty. My brother had a way with naming things. She more or less feeds herself since she is made of ice cream and regenerates what is lost. I give her cream ever once and a while, just for good measure. And she is perfectly content living in the freezer so she won’t be any trouble.”

Mikey’s head poked through the portal and he reached out his hands, “That is literally the coolest thing I have ever seen. Oh, can I have her? Please?”

“I thought you might like her,” Donnie smiled, passing Ice Cream Kitty though the portal. “Just make sure Klunk doesn’t eat her.”

“They are gonna be the best of friends,” Mikey declared and disappeared back through the portal. 

“Ready?” Leo asked, holding out his hand. 

Donnie accepted Leo’s hand and nodded. “I am.”

Raph’s hand appeared through the portal and he pulled them back through. Donnie looked around and noticed that everything had been taken out of the lab and was probably piled just outside the door. They will need to sort through it all later once everything was done. 

Donnie turned to look back through the portal for one last look at his home. After saying his silent goodbyes, he sat at the desk and got to work finding Karai. It was easy for him to figure out the mechanics Donatello had put in place and it wasn’t long before Karai appeared on the other side of the portal. 

It seemed that Shredder did not trust her and was still keeping her in a cell. She looked dejected. Her hair had grown over the year of her captivity, the bright blond had faided, and she wasn’t wearing any makeup. She was also without her armor and in a simple shirt and pants that looked like a prison uniform. 

“You guys should probably leave the room, for now,” Donnie suggested. “I don’t know her mental state.”

“Okay,” Leo nodded and led the others out. 

Raph stopped and turned from the door way. “We’ll be right outside. Yell if you end up getting stuck in there or if you need anything.”

“Yeah,” Donnie nodded. “I will.”

He positioned the portal as close to Karai as he could get it and then moved away from the controls. After taking a deep steading breath Donnie walked up to the portal, got down on his knees, and pushed his head through.

“Karai?” Donnie said in a soft voice. It didn’t keep her from jumping in fear. 

“Are you a ghost?” He eyes were wide with fear but at least she didn’t look as if she had lost her mind. She was a strong girl. She was going to get through this trauma. But fist, Donnie had to set her free. 

“No,” Donnie whispered. “I’m using a portal.” He reached out to her. “Come on. I’m getting you out of here.”

She hesitated for a moment but took his hand and he pulled her through. He got to his feet as she came through the portal and as soon as she was through he pulled her into a warm hug. She fell into his arms and started to cry. “I knew he was lying. I knew you were alive.”

Tears fell from Donnie’s eyes as he struggled to find his voice. “I’m the only one who’s left,” he managed to choke out, sending Karai into a fit of tears. “I’m sorry I didn’t get you out of there sooner. I thought you were dead. Shredder told us that he had killed you.”

“There were some days that I wish he had,” Karai sobbed. “Thank you for getting me out of there.”

As much as he wanted to hold her and cry, Donnie knew that he had to move fast. Pulling away from Karai, he looked into her eyes. “I’ll explain everything later. But for now I need you to listen. You are going to be confused for a little while but there are things I need to do. Okay? Can you trust me?”

Still in a minor amount of shock, Karai nodded and let Donnie guide her to the door. She gasped and her eyes went wide when she saw the others. She held on to him but Donnie ushered her towards Splinter. “Will you take her to the dojo to use the orb?”

“Of course,” Splinter nodded, taking Karai’s hand. “Do not be afraid. All will be explained shortly, my dear. Please, follow me.”

“Why are you so short?” Karai asked in a small voice as they walked away. 

There wasn’t time to worry over Karai now. He had one more thing to do before the Shredder realized what was going on. The others followed him back into the lab and once again Donnie sat down at the controls. He did the necessary adjustments to have the portal enter into the Shredder’s throne room.

“Dude…,” Mikey said under his breath. “That’s sick but not in the good way. It’s just messed up.”

Once again Donnie had to steady himself before he was able to move. Taking a deep breath he pushed away from the controls to look through the portal. His brothers’ shells hanged on a wall with their weapons and masks preserved in frames, while Splinter’s pelt was on the floor like a bear skin rug. 

“What a sick fuck,” Raph hissed in anger. 

“Keep your emotions in check, Raph,” Leo said as he moved towards the portal. “This is the only opportunity we will have to do this. We are not going in there it do anything but collect his family’s remains. I will get Splinter and Leonardo. Mikey, you get Michelangelo and, Raph, you get Raphael.”

“Got it,” Mikey nodded. 

And Raph grunted, “Yeah,” though he sounded like he would rather kill someone while he was there.

“Be careful,” Donnie warned. “He has some skilled mutants fighting for him and he is a ninja master as well.”

“We can handle him,” Raph smirked. “We took out aliens and demons. One man will be nothing by comparison.”

“Don’t get over confidant,” Leo chided him. “We don’t know him or what is his capable of.”

“We know exactly what the sick bastard is capable of,” Mikey scowled. 

Leo sighed, “Let’s go.”

They rushed in and all Donnie could do was watch and pray that they were not caught. They were as respectful with his family’s remains as they could be in their haste. Leo rolled Splinter’s pelt and tucked it under his arm before turning to the wall to grab Leonardo’s shell and weapons. 

Raph was the first back to the portal, followed closely by Mikey. Donnie helped them through and then waited with bated breath for Leo. Once Leo was through the portal, Donnie turned it off for good measure. 

They had done it, without event. He had expected the worst but now it was over. Finally he was able to let all of the emotions he had been keeping in check, out. He crumpled to the floor in tears and just sat there sobbing. Relief, pain, anguish, hope all flooded him at once. He was free but he had lost so much. 

A pair of arms wrapped around him and held him close. Curling up, Donnie rested his head on the other turtle’s chest. By the scars in the plastron, Donnie could tell that it was Raphael. Just like his brother, the tough guy was a big softy deep down. It was oddly soothing and heartbreaking at the same time. 

“You did it,” Raph soothed. “You saved them. Now they can be a peace.”


	17. Broken Pieces

TMNT 100 Theme  
Chapter 17  
Broken Pieces

 

Donny placed Snow in her crib. He was almost reluctant to put her down. The bonding exercises were helping with his depression and he enjoyed holding her once again. Donny checked her fingers one more time to make sure that Leatherhead had done a thorough job in trimming back her claws. He did not want her to scratch her pretty face while she slept. 

Leatherhead walked up behind Donny and wrapped his arms around him. “Doctor Chaplin thinks that you should be able to go home soon.”

Home. The thought of going back actually frightened Donatello. Going home meant that he would have to go back to work. He was comfortable and worry free in the Foot compound. Despite his reservations, Donny nodded his head. “It will be good to get back home.”

“Raphael will be happy to see Snow again,” Leatherhead added as he nuzzled Donny’s neck. 

With a sigh, Donny laughed. “The doctors here got Snow sleeping through the night, in her own bed. I will be so mad at Raph if he lets her sleep in with him, undoing all of that work.”

It took several long, sleepless nights for them to get Snow to finally sleep in her own bed. For a while, Donny thought that it was never going to happen. The doctors were a huge help during the whole process. They would watch her during the day so Don and Leatherhead could sleep.

Leatherhead chuckled, “I agree, my love.”

Keeping his eyes on Snow, Donny leaned back against Leatherhead. “You are too good to me, Kroki. Thank you for putting up with me during this difficult time.”

“I love you,” Leatherhead replied and wrapped his arms a little tighter around Donny. “I would do anything for you.”

Donny watched Snow sleep and a soft smile spread across his lips. “Do you want to have anymore?”

“More children?” Leatherhead asked. When Donny nodded his head, Leatherhead answered, “I’m still not sure.”

“We would be able to prepare ourselves for it this time,” Donny said. “And I would hate for Snow to grow up alone.” His hands rubbed along Leatherhead’s arms and he tilted his head back to kiss the underside of Leatherhead’s law. “We don’t have to decide anything now though. But we can practice.”

Leatherhead chuckled softly as Donatello turned in his arms. Donny continued to lavish Leatherhead’s neck with kisses and his hands began to roam. Leatherhead scooped Donny up and carried him bridal style to their bed, on the other side of a curtain. 

It was a large tatami mattress that was surrounded with pillows and Donatello hoped that the Foot would let them take it home with them. It was so much more comfortable than the nest of pillows and blankets they had had now. 

Leatherhead set Donatello down and moved over him. “It’s been a while.”

“It has,” Donatello agreed. “Way too long.”

“I guess you have to be inside me,” Leatherhead said, rolling off to the side. “We don’t want to risk creating another child… yet.”

“You can top,” Donny smiled and rolled over to grab the pack of condoms. “I asked Doctor Chaplin for these. So we’re covered. So to speak.” He moved to straddle Leatherhead’s tail and ran his fingers along the large croc’s cloaca. “Let me get you ready.”

Leatherhead hummed as his cloaca opened and Donny leaned down to suck on the sensitive flesh inside. With a deep moan, Leatherhead’s tail swished and thumped on the floor under Donatello. Showering Leatherhead with attention, Donatello licked along the croc’s length as it emerged. 

He knew that the condom was going to kill some of the sensation for his lover, so Donatello continued to suck Leatherhead’s cock for a while. He would have done it longer if it wasn’t for the fact that he was eager to feel Leatherhead inside of him. So Donatello opened the condom and carefully unrolled it over Leatherhead’s penis. 

“Ready?” Donny asked, wiping his chin. 

“Get on,” Leatherhead husked, nodding his head. “I want to watch you.”

Donny flushed. He knew what Leatherhead wanted. He got off watching Donny pleasure himself, especially while riding him. It was something Donatello used to do for Leatherhead often, even though it was a little embarrassing for him. He would rather do it missionary in the dark. But he loved Leatherhead and wanted to make him happy. Sometimes Don’s nerves got the better of him and they would do it his way. Leatherhead wasn’t selfish and tended to Don’s needs as well. 

Pulling his bottom lip through his teeth, Donny nodded and moved up Leatherhead. Donny stimulated himself enough to get his penis to emerge before lining himself up and pushing down. His body protested the intrusion at first but not enough to make Donny pull back. He simply rocked his hips as he ran his fingers along his penis. He moved to make sure Leatherhead’s penis entered into his rectum and not the other entrance that led up to his alien uterus. Even though Leatherhead was wearing a condom, Donatello did not want to take any chances. 

Leatherhead’s hands stayed on Donny’s thighs. The rough scales were too much for the sensitive flesh of Don’s penis and tended to hurt. So Leatherhead knew to keep his hands off and occupied elsewhere. 

Trembling, Donny leaned back and opened his legs so that Leatherhead had a good view. The large croc rumbled and his hands squeezed Donny’s thighs. A nervous giggle bubble up out of Donny and he played with himself while his body adjusted. 

Leatherhead’s tail swished back and forth, indicating his desire to move but otherwise he held still. Donatello had to be the one to start moving first. The last thing Leatherhead wanted was to cause Donatello pain. 

“You’re so beautiful,” Leatherhead purred, running his finger down Don’s cheek. There was so much love laced within the words and simple touch. Don’s cheeks heated further as another giggle erupted from him. Leatherhead had that effect on him. Turning his head, Don managed to kiss Leatherhead’s finger before it dropped away. 

Donatello leaned forward and kissed Leatherhead’s snout. “I love you, Kroki.” He then leaned back once again and started to move himself up and down. Donatello had missed the feeling of having Leatherhead inside of him. 

Temporarily forgetting about his inhibitions, Donatello lost himself to the pleasure. With his head turned to the side, Donny pumped his cock as he rode Leatherhead. His thighs burned but Donatello continued to move, he was so close. “You feel so good, Kroki.”

“Look at me.” Leatherhead cupped Don’s cheek with one hand. “Look at me while you finish.”

Don nodded and looked down at Leatherhead. The heat in his cheeks intensified. He felt exposed and a little embarrassed but he trusted Leatherhead and he opened himself up completely to him. “I love you,” Donny whimpered, a churr cutting off his words. He churred again as he finished and the sight of it had Leatherhead orgasm as well. 

A smile parted Don’s lips. It felt good to know that after all this time he still had that effect on Leatherhead. After kissing Leatherhead once more, Donny lifted up and turned around to remove the condom. He then wrapped it in a tissue and placed it in the trash can. 

Don looked over his shoulder back at Leatherhead. “Was it oaky with the condom?”

Leatherhead nodded and smiled. “It helped me last longer but the orgasm was just a wonderful as ever.”

“Good,” Donny chuckled and turned back around to snuggle on top of Leatherhead. “There was a little bit of a different feel for me too but it wasn’t bad.”

“I’m just glad I have you back,” Leatherhead mumbled as he rolled over and curled around Donny. 

Donny snuggled up against Leatherhead and closed his eyes. In the silence that followed they could hear Snow sleeping in her crib. Donny sighed in contentment and drifted off to sleep. 

Donny’s dreams were about home at first but they soon shifted to Bishop’s compound. He was strapped down to a bed with Bishop standing over him. Stockman was hooking Donatello up to a machine and in the bed next to him he could see himself, sleeping. 

Donny tried to cry out but fear had taken his breath away. His heart hammered in his chest causing him pain. He struggled to breathe as the pain in his chest intensified, causing him to wake up. 

It wasn’t just a dream. The pain was real. His muscles rippled under his flesh, making it feel like something was crawling around. 

Leatherhead’s eyes snapped open and he sat up. “Donatello?” Panic filled the large croc when Donatello couldn’t answer. He reluctantly left Donny’s side and ran to the door. “Somebody help!” he called into the hallway. “Please. Something’s wrong with Donatello.”

..…

Donnie had managed to stop crying but he remained curled up in Raph’s arms. He was numb, unsure what he was going to do next. He was glad that he wasn’t alone but he missed his brothers dearly. Would he ever be able to feel at home in this new world? Did he really belong? He was so different from them and yet he felt a kinship with them. 

“Donatello?”

Donnie lifted his head to see Karai. Her eyes were filled with tears as she knelt down next to him. Glancing to the side, she saw the remains of their family and started to cry. Donnie moved out of Raph’s lap and pulled Karai into a warm embrace. “Did the orb work for you?”

She nodded her head against him. “I got to see my mother.” Pulling away so she could look at Donnie, Kari forced a smile. “And my father was human again. He told me that he was going to be reborn in this world soon.”

Donnie nodded, “He told me the same thing.”

“So we’ll see him again someday,” Karai mumbled through her tears. She cupped Donnie’s face in her hands and looked him in the eyes. “I want you to tell me everything you can about him.”

Donnie brought his hand up to grab hold of Karai’s. “I will.”

“I’m glad I still have you,” Karai whispered, leaning her forehead on his. “Thank you for saving me.”

“I’m sorry it took so long,” Donnie replied, once again taking her into his arms. They remained on the floor, embracing each other for a while. Donnie ran his fingers through Karai’s soft hair. “You look like your mother,” he whispered. “I didn’t see it before, when you wore all of that make up. But now that your hair’s longer and your face is clean, I can see it.”

“Father said the same thing,” Karai mumbled. 

Splinter entered the lab and looked down at the pair. “If you would like,” he offered, “we can set up a shrine, to honor your family, in one of the smaller, unused rooms.”

“That would be nice,” Donnie said as Karai pulled out of his embrace and stood up. Donnie managed to get his wobbly legs to support him enough to stand. He wiped his hand across his face and looked at Splinter. “Thank you. For everything.”

Donnie and Karai supported each other as the others collected his family’s remains and led them from the lab. Leonardo opened a door to what was probably meant to be a janitor’s closet. “This should do.” He turned to look at Donnie. “It’s big enough but not too big. We can set up your family’s remains in here or we can burn them but, I’m sure you know, that burying them is not an option.”

Donnie nodded, “I know.” He looked over at Karai. “The shells won’t burn but the pelt will. We could cremate it and save the ashes. And, maybe, place the carapaces on the wall. Would that be too morbid?”

Karai shook her head. “You would do it in a way of respect and not as trophies like Shredder.”

“We can help you,” Mikey offered. “Whatever you want to do. We’ll set it all up and make it look nice.”

“I have something nice that you can put the ashes into,” Leo said. “It’s small but there won’t be a lot of ashes since it is only his pelt.”

Donnie nodded, “Thank you. I’m still trying to wrap my mind around all of this.”

Splinter placed his hand on Donnie’s shoulder. “You don’t have to make any decisions right now. Take some time to think about what you want to do. For now, we can place the remains in here as we gather up all that will be needed.”

Donnie rung his hands together, “Are you sure that will be okay? It feels like we are tucking them away in a storage closet.”

“It will take some time to get everything sorted out.” Splinter kept his tone even and Donnie found it to be soothing. “We are not disrespecting your family in any way and we are not going to stuff them in there and forget about them. It is only temporary.”

“Okay,” Donnie sighed. “You’re right. I need time to think.”

Karai grabbed his hand in both of hers. “We’ll work this out together.”

“For now let’s sort through all of the items from your home and see what can be used in the shrine,” Splinter said. “It might help to ease your mind if you are occupied.”

Raph, Leo, and Mikey carefully placed the remains in the closet. Donnie tried not to think of it as a closet but it in all honesty that is what it was. As Leo moved to close the door, Donnie let out a slight gasp. More tears filled his eyes and he couldn’t pull his gaze from what was left of his family. 

Leonardo thought for a moment and then got to work removing the door from its hinges. Raph caught on to what he was doing and stepped in to help. The two removed the door and leaned it against the wall. Leo knocked on the wood and then looked over at Donnie. “We can probably use this as a shelf in the shrine for any pictures you have.”

“That is a good idea,” Splinter nodded in agreement and then turned to Raphael. “After dinner, I want you to figure out a way to mount the door to the wall.”

“I think I have some things I can use to set that up.” Raph turned to Donnie. “I saw some pillows that could be used for kneeling and one of those rugs you brought over would fit in there too. And we got a curtain that we can use in place of the door.”

“I’ve got some candles and incense,” Leo added. 

“I can go make us dinner,” Mikey chimed in. “I don’t have much else to offer in all of this. I’m also gonna call April so she can bring over some clothes and other girly things that Karai might need.”

“Alright,” Splinter agreed and Mikey turned and headed down the stairs. Splinter then turned to Donnie. “All of your things are this way,” he pointed back in the other direction and started to lead Donnie down the path. 

Everything was neatly stacked in a clearing by the stairs with his bag placed on top of it all. “Let’s get all of this sorted.” Leo said, walking up to the pile. He stopped midstride and pulled what looked like their version of a T-phone from his belt. “Hello?”

Leo stood silent for a moment while he listened to who had called. “Is he alright?” Leo asked and there was an air of tension that filled the room. “We’ll be right there.” He closed his phone and looked at the others. “Something’s wrong with Donny. Doctor Chaplin is looking at him now. Karai said that it didn’t look good but didn’t go into detail.”

“Raphael, get Michelangelo. We are going.” Splinter ordered. 

With a slight nod, Raphael bolted down the stairs. Donnie rushed over and grabbed his bag from the pile. “I’m going with you. Maybe I can help.”

“Alright,” Leo nodded and then turned to Karai. “Will you be coming as well?”

“Yes,” Karai answered.

“Let’s go,” Splinter said, heading for the stairs and Leo, Donnie, and Karai followed after.


	18. Rejection

TMNT 100 Theme  
Chapter 18  
Rejection

 

Leonardo led his family into the Foot compound. They met no opposition as they entered and the one Foot soldier who appeared wordlessly took up the lead to guide them to where they were keeping Donatello. Once they reached their destination, the Foot soldier opened the door and stepped aside as the Turtles entered. 

Donatello was in bed with monitoring devices attached to him. Leo’s heart sank at the sight of it. How many times was he going to have to see one of his brothers clinging to life? 

Whatever was wrong with him, it was obvious that Donatello was in pain.

Leatherhead was sitting next to the bed, holding Donny’s hand. He looked up as they entered and he did a double take when his eyes fell on Donny’s counterpart. He glanced up at Leonardo then back to the counterpart. 

Leo looked back at Donnie then turned once again to Leatherhead. “We will explain how he got here later. Right now our biggest concern is what’s going on with Donny.”

Leatherhead sighed and looked down at his love. “Doctor Chaplin ran some tests…. Donatello’s cells are breaking down.”

“Why?” Raph asked as Donnie stepped forward. 

Leatherhead eyed the counterpart suspiciously. “It appears that in order to implant Donatello with the alien uterus, Bishop had to clone him. And, like with Bishop, the clone has a shelf life.”

Mikey took a few deep breaths as he found the courage to ask, “That’s not really Donny?”

Leatherhead tore his eyes from Donatello’s counterpart and looked up at Michelangelo. “He is Donatello. He has just been placed in a different body.”

“Can Chaplin clone Donny a new body?” Leo asked. 

Leatherhead shook his head. “He does not know the process and even if he did, he would need the DNA from Donatello’s original body in order to do it.”

“So,” Mikey choked back a sob. “We’re gonna lose him. He’s gonna start to fall apart like Stockman did.”

Leatherhead looked down at Donatello and squeezed his hand. “Chaplin is trying to find a way to stop the deterioration. So far he has only succeeded in slowing it down.”

As Leatherhead spoke the words, Leonardo didn’t hear any kind of hope in them. He doubted that there was anything that could be done. 

“We need to find Bishop and make him fix this,” Raph said, slamming his fist into his hand. 

Leatherhead shook his head. “Donatello has already decided on that. He doesn’t want to risk being captured again. He knows that Bishop’s original goal was to use him for breeding. There is no way he will risk having his children raised by that man.”

Tears streamed down Mikey’s cheeks. “So we’re just gonna let him die?”

Leatherhead closed his eyes, unable to answer. 

“Where is Doctor Chaplin,” Donnie asked, looking around the room. “Maybe I can help with the research.”

Leatherhead looked up at him then over at Leo. 

Shrugging, Leo said, “If anyone can find a way to save Donatello, it will be Donatello. There’s no one smarter.”

“I remember where the lab is,” Mikey announced, lunging forward to grab hold of Donnie. The look of surprise on Donnie’s face as Mikey pulled him from the room was almost comical. If it weren’t for the dire situation, it would have been enough to make Leo laugh. 

“How did he get in our world?” Donny asked after they had left. His voice was strained and his chest heaved as he turned his head to look up at Leo. “I need to know the answer.”

Leo sat down on the other side of the bed and took Donny’s hand. “Mikey was messing with your portal device. He figured out how to flip through the stations, so to speak. He saw Donnie lying on the floor. He had lost his family and had given up on life. And you know Mikey, he had to help. So he ran through. All it took to bring him back was for Raph to stick his hand in and pull Mikey through.”

Donny stared up at Leo in silence. His eyes darted back and forth as he processed what Leo had said. After a while, Donny sighed and said, “That’s it? That’s all it took? It was that simple?”

Leo nodded, “It was that simple.”

Donny let out a slight chuckle that visibly caused him pain. “Leave it to Mikey to find a simple solution to a problem I had been over thanking.”

“Yeah, he’s good at that.” Raph said, trying his best to sound upbeat. 

Leo looked back at the other dimension’s Karai. She was standing back, out of the way, looking out of place. In all honesty, she was. This wasn’t her world and she hadn’t had the chance to get to know any of them. Leo sighed inwardly. There wasn’t much he could do about it now. 

Splinter walked up next to Leonardo and placed his hand on Donatello’s head. His black eyes shone with tears and the fur under his eyes was soaked. There were no words of comfort that could be offered. Nothing could be said to ease the pain. 

Time passed and the situation felt hopeless. What chance was there for them to find a way to stabilize the clone’s structure when Bishop couldn’t find it? The government agent had had decades to figure it out. 

Raph joined them by the bed and Leatherhead moved back to give him some room. As Leatherhead let go of Donny’s hand, Raph reached out to grab it. 

Donny opened his eyes and looked up at Raph. “You and Leatherhead be good to Snow, okay. You two need to stop fighting over her care. You need to work together, for her.”

Raph nodded in response, doing his best to hold back his tears. “Okay.”

“You know I love you, Raph,” Donny whispered. 

Choking on a sob, Raph leaned forward to place a chaste kiss on Donny’s lips. “If I was into dudes, you would have been mine a long time ago.”

“You would’ve had to share me with Leatherhead,” Donny smiled. 

Raph laughed through the tears. “I’m glad he was able to give you what I couldn’t.”

The door opened and Donnie came running in, followed by Chaplin and Mikey. Donnie held a syringe in his hand and headed straight for Donny. “I hope this works.”

Before anyone had time to react or ask any questions, Donnie started to inject a dark glowing substance in to Donny through the IV tube. Once the syringe was empty Donnie stepped back, keeping his eyes on Donny. 

At first nothing happened. But then Donny grunted in pain. Whatever was happening then turned agonizing for him. His body trashed as he cried out, every muscle tense and he gripped the sheets in a white knuckle grasp. 

“What did you do?” Leatherhead roared, turning to glare at Donnie. 

“I’m sorry,” Donnie sobbed, crumpling to the floor. 

The screams were hard to listen to and Leo was sure that it was his brother’s final moments. Eventually, Donny stopped screaming and he went limp. His body was drenched in sweat and all motion had stopped. Leo held his breath as he looked down at his brother. Then Donny’s chest started to move with steady breaths and Leo was able to heave a sigh of relief. 

Chaplin moved forward and started to examine Donny. “Everything seems to be stabilizing. But I will need a blood sample to make sure.” He reached into his lab coat and pulled out the items he would need to draw some blood.

As Chaplin worked on collecting the sample, Leo walked over to Donnie. “What did you inject into him?” As he spoke, Leo looked up and noticed that there were several people standing in the door way, looking into the room. The screams must have drawn their attention.

“I… m…modified the mutagen from my world,” Donnie answered meekly from the floor. “I tested it on his blood. I had no idea that it would do that to him. I’m so sorry.”

“It might have caused him pain,” Chaplin said as he pulled the needle from Donny’s arm. “But it looks like it might have saved him. I’ll run some test to make sure but I’m hopeful.”

Raph turned to look at Donnie. “You brought mutagen over from your world?”

Donnie nodded in response. 

Leatherhead stood up and walked over to Donnie. With wide eyes, Donnie followed his movements and then cringed when he realized that the large croc was approaching. “Please don’t grab my face,” he said, bringing his arms up to shield himself.

Leatherhead paused, taken back by Donnie’s words. “Why would I grab you by the face?”

Bringing his arms down to look up at Leatherhead, Donnie replied, “That’s what Leatherhead in my world did to me all the time whenever he was mad. And I don’t know why. He just kept going after my face. He was huge, larger than you, and his hand covered my whole face. Then he would fling his arms around, whipping me back and forth like a rag doll.”

Donnie became animated as he spoke and his frustration could be heard in the way he spoke. He realized what he was doing and blushed, closing his mouth as he stood up. Taking a deep breath he looked up at Leatherhead. “You are different from him in a lot of ways but, like him, I can tell that you are a friend.”

Leatherhead reached out and grabbed hold of Donnie, pulling him into a warm embrace. “Thank you for saving my love.”

At first Donnie was surprised by the gesture but then his features softened as his eyes filled with sorrow. “We’re not sure if it worked yet.”

“I think it did,” Donny mumbled, drawing their attention back to him. “It doesn’t feel like my skin is crawling anymore. But, then again, I feel like I was hit by a bus. It’s a completely different kind of pain than before.”

Leatherhead rushed back over to Donny and nuzzled him. “I was so frightened.”

Donny reached up and caressed Leatherhead’s long jaw. 

“It is so strange to see them together,” Donnie mumbled. “I never felt that way for Leatherhead. Mikey was closer to him.”

Leo laughed. “I guess there are quite a few differences between our two worlds. Just wait until you see their baby.” Reaching out, Leo pulled Donnie into a warm hug. “Thank you for saving my brother.”

“No problem,” Donnie hugged him back. “I couldn’t sit back and do nothing. I know the pain of watching your brother die.”

Splinter, who had remained silent through the whole ordeal, walked up and grabbed Donnie’s hand. “Thank you,” was all he managed to say before his words were choked off with a sob. Splinter then walked back over to the bed and sat down next to Donny. 

“We owe you a great deal,” Raph added, patting Donnie on the back before heading back over to Donny. “I’m glad Mikey found you.”

Karai walked into the room carrying Snow. She looked down at her counterpart, he eyes narrowing slightly out of curiosity then she saw Donnie and paused. “I’m sure there is an interesting story that explains who you are but by the look of you, I am going to guess that you are not another clone.”

“That is correct,” Donnie nodded. His eyes drifted down to look at the baby in Karai’s arms. “That must be Snow.”

Karai smiled. “She woke up from her nap and I figured that since Donatello is no longer in critical condition that he might want to see her.”

“I’m a little too tired to hold her now,” Donny replied. “But, I’m sure Raph will be more than happy to take her off your hands.”

“Absolutely.” Raph stood and relieved Snow from Karai. Snow cooed in delight as Raph leaned down to nuzzle her. “I missed your smell,” he whispered and then kissed her head.

Feeling a great swell of relief, Leo moved back over to Donny’s side. Once more, death was avoided.


	19. Sacrifice

TMNT 100 Theme  
Chapter 19  
Sacrifice

 

Taking a deep breath and letting it out slowly, Donnie prepared himself. He did not know why the idea of getting to know his counterpart in this world was so nerve racking. But, he was scared. If this world’s Donatello was anything like his brothers then he was going to welcome him with open arms. But, there was still a lingering doubt. What if he felt like Donnie was encroaching on his territory?

It was better to get it over with, sooner rather than later. Steeling his nerves, Donnie opened the door and looked in. “Are you decent?”

With a slight chuckle, Donatello looked up from his book and smiled, “Yes.” Placing the book on the bedside table, Donny waved Donnie over. “Come in. I’ve been eager to properly meet you.”

That was a relief. Donny genuinely looked happy to see him. Donnie made his way over to look at Donny’s stats then sat down next to the bed. “It looks like you are going to be okay.”

“I have you to thank for that,” Donny stated. “Thank you.”

Donnie blushed and rubbed the back of his head. “I couldn’t sit back and do nothing.”

“Do you still have some of your world’s mutagen?” Donny asked. “I would love to study it.”

Nodding, Donnie answered, “I do. I had collected several containers. I brought them with me because I was afraid of them falling into the wrong hands.” He scoffed and looked down at his hands. “It’s not like it mattered. Shredder has vats of the stuff. It’s already in the wrong hands. The only good he has ever done with it was reversing Karai’s mutation.”

“My brothers have told me all that they know about you,” Donny said. “I have a vague understanding of what you went through.” Letting out a soft chuckle, Donny looked up. “I was sent thirty years into a possible future where my brothers were in a hellish place ruled by Shredder. It was a horrible place…. Long story short, we fought and I saw each of them killed. That future has been plaguing me. But it wasn’t my future. It was just another world within the multiverse. I was at least able to return to my home and my family and put that trauma behind me. But you…. This is by far worse than what I went through.”

Donnie shrugged as he fought back tears. “At least I’m not alone anymore and I was able to save Karai.”

“It’s gonna be strange,” Donny chuckled, trying to lighten the mood, “having two Donatellos and two Karais.”

Wiping his eyes, Donnie shook his head. “Actually…, Karai and I talked about it. She said that she wants to go by the name she was given by her parents; Hamato Miwa.”

“Hamato Miwa?” Donny repeated with a raised eye ridge.

Donnie nodded with a slight smile. “She’s Master Splinter’s daughter. She was taken from him when she was just a baby and raised by Shredder. The saddest part about all of it was that she never got the chance to know either of her parents and she never will.”

They sat in silence for a moment, unsure of what else to say. Then Donnie cleared his throat, “I figured that I could change my name as well.”

“That’s not fair,” Donny shook his head. “I would never ask you to give up the name your father gave you. It makes sense for Ka… Miwa. She is taking back what was originally hers. But, for you, that would just be cruel.”

Donnie shrugged, “It the best thing to do to avoid confusion. And, this is your world so it’s only right that I be the one to change.”

“We’ll figure something else out,” Donny insisted. 

“Like what?” Donnie asked, rubbing his head. 

“Well,” Donny thought for a moment. “What about simply giving up your nickname?”

Donnie looked up at Donny and waited. 

“How about we start calling you…. Tello,” Donny offered. “I take the first half of the name and you can have the second.”

“There’s still gonna be some confusion,” Tello pointed out. 

“We’ll survive it,” Donny smiled. “This way we get to both keep the name.”

Tello thought for a moment and then nodded. “Okay. That could work.”

“It’s gonna be great having another genius in the lair,” Donny smiled. “My brothers told me that you built robots…of….” Donny stopped talking when he remembered that the robots were built to replace Tello’s brothers. Clearing his throat, Donny changed the subject. “So, were you and Leatherhead in a relationship in your world?”

Tello’s eyes went wide. “No!” he blurted out, shaking his head. “Not at all. He was always grabbing my face.” Tello relaxed and sighed, remembering. “He calmed down a bit after spending, what was to him, decades in Dimension X. He was Mikey’s best friend. I was in love with April.”

Donny smiled, “Have a thing for older women.”

“She wasn’t an adult like your April,” Tello corrected. “She was only a year older and the most beautiful….” His throat closed up on him and he had to swallow a few times to clear it before he could continue. “In the end she chose Casey.” Looking at Donny, Tello asked, “Did you ever have a crush on your April?”

“No,” Donny shook his head. “I admired her intellect, but to say that I had a crush on her would be a gross exaggeration. I’m gay, through and through.”

“And now half female?” Tello prompted. 

Donny nodded, “Thanks to Agent Bishop and his cloning procedure.”

“So,” Tello hesitated for a moment as he shifted in his seat. “Do you think there are or will be more clones of you?”

Donny shook his head, “If Bishop could make more than one clone at a time I believe there would be more of him. He brought a clone to life once and the creature lost its mind. I think there needs to be a transfer of consciousness for the cloning process to be successful. This might not be my original body but I am still me.”

Tello nodded, “I think I understand.”

Donny craned his neck to look down at Tello’s hands. “You’re definitely built different than we are.”

Tello chuckled and held up his hands. “Yeah.” 

“Mikey tells me you have three toes,” Donny said as he tried to look down at Tello’s feet.

“Yep,” Tello said, bringing his foot up to rest on his other thigh so Donny could see. “I have big feet and big hands. It made tinkering with electronics and running quietly a bit of a challenge but I managed.”

“Those large hands saved my life,” Donny said. “You are a genius in your own right. I’m grateful to have you here. And I can’t wait to spar with you in the dojo.”

A gentle knock on the door had the two genius turtles turning to see who it was. Raph poked his head into the room. “Miwa wants to talk to you,” he said to Tello.

“Thank you,” Tello stood and looked down at Donny. “I’ll see you later. You should be able to return home today.”

“Bye,” Donny said, grabbing Tello’s hand. “We’ll have plenty of time to get to know each other.”

“We will,” Tello agreed, turning to leave as Donny let go of his hand. 

As he walked down the hall with Raph, the red banded turtle turned to address him. “Did you get the whole name thing sorted out?”

Tello nodded, “We did. The only thing we are going to change is my nickname. I’m going by Tello now.”

Raph chuckled, “I like it.” They walked for a while longer before Raph said, “How you holding up?” 

“It’s all happening so fast,” Tello said with a shrug. “Just the other day I was giving up on life and today I am walking through the halls of the Foot compound in another dimension after saving my counterpart.”

“It’s been a lot to take in,” Raph agreed. “When shit happens too fast to really process, it all catches up to you later. I want you to know that I’m here for you, whatever you need. You don’t have to go through it alone.”

Tello stopped causing Raph to do the same. With patient eyes, Raph watched Tello sort out what he wanted to say. “Well… It’s just… I don’t…. I don’t want to be alone right now. Sleeping next to you last night… it helped.”

“Do you wanna keep sleeping in my room?” Raph offered. 

Tello blushed as he nodded. “It’s nothing funny. It’s just….”

“It’s fine,” Raph said, placing his hand on Tello’s shoulder. “I don’t mind. And, in fact, I like the company. Nothing funny,” Raph chuckled, “but having someone close would be nice. Don and I were close and if I was into guys we would be together but I’m not. Mikey and Leo share a room. They are as intimate as two people can be without sex.”

Raph hesitated and cleared his throat, stopping himself before he said too much. But Tello could read between the lines. “You want to, maybe, establish that kind of relationship with me?”

Raph shrugged, “I desire companionship, someone to be close to. You don’t have to, but the offer’s there.”

“We can try,” Tello smiled earning a smile from Raph in return. 

“Let’s find out what your sister wanted,” Raph said and turned to continue back down the hall. Raph led Tello to a room and opened the door for him. “She’s in here.”

“Thank you,” Tello said as Raph left the two of them alone. 

Miwa stood in the center of the room, dressed in a shinobi shozoku. Her hair was still long but was pulled up into a tight bun. A light amount of makeup covered her face but nowhere near as much as she had in the past. Smiling to himself, Tello wondered what Leo would think if he saw her now. 

She looked up as Tello approached. “Hey.”

“Hey,” Tello replied. “Where did you get the outfit?”

Miwa looked down at herself and answered. “Karai gave it to me.”

“You look good,” Tello said. He took a moment to look around the room before getting to the reason for being there. “Raph said you wanted to see me?”

Miwa nodded and looked down at her hands. “Karai has offered to let me stay here.”

Tello’s heart sank and all he could manage to say was, “Oh.”

Hearing the pain in his voice, Miwa walked up to Tello and placed her hand on his cheek. “I need some kind of sibilance of normalcy. Living in the lair with the Turtles is good for you because it is something you know but for me, it’s the Foot. I’ll come visit. I’m gonna want to see you and the shrine but I need to be here. Karai is great and she understands me and we have a lot in common. The Shredder of this world raised her too and she wants to regain her honor.”

Fighting back the tears, Tello nodded, “I understand.”

“There’s more,” Miwa whispered. “Remember how father said that he is going to be reborn in this world?”

Tello nodded. 

“Karai’s pregnant,” Miwa stated as she leaned in closer to Tello. “My gut tells me that her baby is father. He told me that he was going to be close and that I would be able to find him. I want to be here so I don’t miss a moment with him.”

“Okay,” Tello smiled. “It’s okay. As much as I would love to keep you around, I’m not going to make you live in the sewers with me. You’re human, you don’t have to stay in hiding. As long as we don’t lose touch, that’s all that matters.”

Miwa wrapped her arms around Tello. “Don’t worry. We’ll see each other often enough.” When they pulled apart, Miwa wiped some tears from her cheeks. “So. Did you ever work out what you were going to start calling yourself?”

“Tello,” he answered. 

Miwa let out a light chuckle. “I like that.” She leaned in to hug him again. “We’re gonna be okay.”

“Yeah,” Tello sighed. “We will.”


	20. Heal

TMNT 100 Theme  
Chapter 20  
Heal

 

Tello was helping Donny pack his things in preparation to leave when Dr. Chaplin entered the room. “Do you think that, maybe, we could make a trade?”

“Trade?” Donny asked, lifting an eye ridge. 

Dr. Chaplin held up a small vile of the pink mutagen. “I will give you some of mine for some of yours. I would love to study the differences and similarities between them. Something tells me that you would too.” 

The two genius turtles shared a look then Donny said, “I never got the chance to study the mutagen that changed us so I’m intrigued.”

Tello nodded in agreement. “I am too.” He turned to look at Dr. Chaplin. “You have a deal.” Reaching into his bag, Tello pulled out his canister of ooze. “I’ll just need…” Before he was able to finish Dr. Chaplin pulled out an empty vile and held it out to Tello. “… something to put it in,” Tello mumbled, taking the vile. 

“I like to be prepared.” Chaplin smiled. 

Tello poured a small amount of the mutagen into the vile and passed it back to Chaplin. “Just so you know. The mutagen from my world is milked from a large creature from Dimension X, called a Kraathatrogon.”

“Really?” Donny asked. “Is it like a cow?”

“No,” Tello answered shaking his head. “It’s a large worm like creature with a face on its butt.”

“That… sounds… interesting,” Donny said slowly. 

“They were large enough to ride on,” Tello said flatly then added. “One swallowed Casey whole. I saved him with salt.”

“Is that the most bazar thing you have ever experienced?” Chaplin asked. 

Tello shook his head. “No. I also encountered a Bigfoot…. She developed a crush on me. It was a little creepy. And then there were the Dream Beavers.”

“I look forward to the stories you have to tell.” Donny smiled. “I thought I’ve had some bazar life experiences.” 

“Not all of them are funny,” Tello stated. 

Donny placed a reassuring hand on Tello’s shoulder. “Neither are mine. Talking about them, though, will help you heal.” He lifted his bag and slung it over his shoulder. “I’m ready to go home.”

Tello nodded. “Yeah. I’ll go get Ka…Miwa. She has a few things at the lair. It’s not much but it’s all she has.” Turning to Dr. Chaplin, Tello smiled. “Thank you for this. I look forward to sharing notes.”

“So do I,” Chaplin replied. “I hope we get to see more of each other.”

“Me too,” Tello said before walking out the door. He placed the small vile into his bag as he walked down the hall. He thought back to Donny’s statement of wanting to go home and he wondered how long it was going to take before he started to feel like this place was home. 

 

……

Miwa had one request. She asked to be allowed to use the portal to enter Tello’s old lair. The Turtles had agreed to let her go but stayed ready to come to her aid. They still did not know if Shredder was watching the lair. 

Miwa entered alone and walked into the dojo. Climbing the tree to get to the higher branches, Miwa cut some of the smaller, new branches with a small knife. With her acquisition in hand, she jumped down from the tree and hurried back to the portal. 

Tello was there to help her through. 

Opening her hand she showed Tello the cuttings. “I will attempt to grow a bonsai with these so that I can always have a little piece of home.”

With a sad smile, Tello nodded. “That is a wonderful idea.”

“Karai has all of the supplies I will need. I will try to grow you one as well,” Miwa promised then looked down at her hands. “It will take some time and it’s not guaranteed.”

“I understand,” Tello said. “I wouldn’t even know where to begin. Thank you for thinking of me.”

Wrapping her arms around him, she hugged him tight. “Thank you for getting me out of that hell. This world is wonderful and I have hope again. I love you, little brother.”

“I love you too,” Tello whispered back before they parted. 

Leo and Mikey escorted Miwa back to the Foot headquarters while Donny settled back into his lab and Raph got started on the small shrine. What seemed like it would be a daunting task for Tello was easily done by Raph. The door was used as a wall mounted table where candles, incents, and photos were placed. The three carapaces were hung on the wall along with their framed masks. The weapons were removed and placed in the dojo. 

Splinter took the pelt and carefully cleaned it before rolling it up once again. Tello didn’t want to display it so they took it down the tracks, away from the lair, and burned it. The ashes were then collected and placed in a small decretive box that was sealed. Tello placed the box on the table in front of the pictures along with Splinter’s walking stick. 

In just a few hours the task was complete and Tello had a small shrine. Kneeling down in front of the table, Tello looked up at his brothers’ shells. “I wonder if this has helped my brothers find their peace. When I visited them, using the orb, I could tell that they were still suffering.” 

“I’m sure it has,” Raph answered from the doorway. “You have treated their remains with respect and love. That carries over. I’m sure they feel it.” He looked down at Tello. “Did this help you find some peace?”

Tello shrugged, “I guess. I miss them so much…. It still hurts.”

“That’ll take some time,” Raph soothed. Placing his hand on Tello’s shoulder, Raph gave it a reassuring squeeze. “If you ever want to talk, I’ll listen.”

“You’ve done so much for me,” Tello sighed. “Soon, it will come to a point where you find me a bother.”

Raph shook his head. “Never. I understand that you are going through a rough time right now. I ain’t gonna turn my back on you.”

Tello sat staring at nothing in particular. It was the first chance he had gotten to settle down and let it all sink in. It was still kind of surreal. He had known that other Turtles existed in the multiverse, he had seen some himself, he never imagined meeting any of them much less live with them. 

He wondered how different this world was from his home. Blinking his eyes to bring them back into focus, Tello looked up at Raph. “Can we go on a rooftop run?”

Raph took in a deep breath and let it out slowly. “I don’t know. The city ain’t safe right now.”

“Has it ever been?” Tello asked flatly. 

With a slight chuckle, Raph shook his head. “Not really.”

“I wanna see something familiar,” Tello pleaded. “The city should look the same…, for the most part. I wanna know if I can find my way around.”

“Alright,” Raph nodded. “I’ll take you out. Just don’t make a big fuss as we’re leaving. They might not let us go.”

“I’ll get my bo,” Tello said as he stood up. “I’ve suck out plenty of times so this is nothing new.”

Together, they made their way to the surface and up to the nearest roof. Tello looked out over the city and smiled. “I know where we are.”

“Then lead the way,” Raph offered. “If you do get lost, I’ll get us home and if you start going into a part of the city that isn’t safe, I’ll let you know.”

Without a word, Tello shot off across the rooftops and Raph followed. It felt good to be out running again.

He led the way with one destination in mind. Dropping down to the streets, Tello opened a nearby manhole cover and slipped down into the sewers. 

The underground maze was the same and he ran through the tunnels like he was home again. He was almost there. Turning a corner he entered into the final straight away. Hopping the broken turnstiles, Tello had made it. “It’s here.”

Raph joined him and whistled as he looked around. “This is nice.”

“This is home,” Tello rasped out before running off. 

Raph followed at a slower pace, staying alert for any enemies. 

When Tello saw the tree he rushed forward to place his hands on it. “It’s here.” Overcome with emotion, Tello dropped to his knees and started to cry. 

“Wow,” Raph whispered, looking up at the tree. “Your father found an awesome spot you raise you guys.” He knelt down next to Tello and wrapped his arms around him, pulling him close. “Let it out, little brother.”

Cradled in Raph’s arms, Tello cried until his eyes burned. After a while he settled and looked up at Raph. “Do you want me to show you around?”

“Sure,” Raph nodded. 

“This was the dojo.” Tello stood, spreading his arms wide. “We managed to fit doors over the entrance and Master Splinter’s room was back that way.” He walked Raph around the abandoned station, painting a mental picture of how their home was set up. With each description Tello told Raph a story about his childhood. Raph remained quiet as Tello spoke, laughing at all the right times to indicate that he was paying attention. 

Hours later, Tello sighed when he realized that he had run out of things to say. “This helped a lot.”

“And it helped me get to know you better,” Raph smiled, patting Tello on the back. “We know this is here now and we can always come back. But, for now, I think we should head back to the lair and get some sleep.”

“That is a wonderful idea,” Tello nodded in agreement. “I am exhausted.” He looked at Raph. “Thank you. I really needed this.”

“I’m glad Mikey found you,” Raph admitted. “I…. I needed someone and you’re here now. I think we will be able to help each other.”

“I’d like that,” Tello said and reached out to hold Raph’s hand.


	21. Insanity

TMNT 100 Theme  
Chapter 21  
Insanity

 

Leonardo, Michelangelo, and Donatello were sent out to search for Raphael and Tello once it was discovered that they were no longer in the lair. To make matters worse, Raph didn’t have his shell-cell on him and Donny hadn’t had the chance to register Tello’s T-phone so there was no way to track them. Splinter was beside himself with anger and worry. 

As they searched they came across Hun and the Purple Dragons. Hun was beating one of his own, accusing him of stealing. Apparently there were several prescription pain pill bottles missing. The Turtles didn’t feel the need to intervene. 

Leonardo wasn’t sure if it was a result of the mutation or if it was because he no longer had Shredder there to keep him under control, but Hun had become a mad man. True, it wasn’t the first time Hun had brutally attacked another. Hun had methodically dismembered Baxter Stockman until he was just a brain and an eyeball back before he had been mutated. However, he was taking more risks recently. 

He made no attempt to stay hidden, showing no fear when he walked down the street. People would scatter at the sight of him and Leo was sure that Hun delighted in that fact. The Purple Dragons were armed with an assortment of Triceraton weaponry and a few of them were mutants as well. They were all well-known and used it to cause fear in the city. 

The Foot soldiers who did not like the fact that Karai had turned the Foot away from crime defected and had joined Hun. So Hun not only had well-armed men following him but skilled ones as well. Fortunately the elite were not among the one who had defected. 

Bishop, on the other hand, had his own agenda. True he fought against Hun but he was also still after the Turtles. Agents patrolled the streets and the sewers, looking for them. It was an obsession of the government agent. He wanted his super soldiers and he saw the Turtles as a way to get them. 

The recent discovery of the fact that Donatello was a clone intended for breeding showed them that Bishop was willing to do anything to get what he wanted. Anything but ask the Turtles to join him. 

The city was no longer safe, especially for the Turtles.

This was the reason why Splinter was beside himself with anger. Leo and the others had arrived back at the lair in time to hear Splinter release all of that anger. “What were you thinking?” he snapped.

“I guess Raph and Tello are back,” Mikey whispered as they stepped through the door. Leo nodded in response. It appeared that they had returned just after Raph and Tello. 

“Tello wanted to go for a run to see if he could navigate the city,” Raph answered. “You know. To see what was the same and what was different.”

Master Splinter struck Raphael with his walking stick; something he hasn’t done in years. “Then you get your brothers to go with you. You don’t go off alone. What would you have done if you were attacked? You didn’t have your shell-cell with you. I have nearly lost you too many times already….”

“I’m sorry,” Raph said as he rubbed his arm. “I just wanted to help Tello feel better.” Dropping to his knees at Splinter’s feet, Raph kept his eyes on the ground. “I’m sorry. I keep screwing up.”

Splinter took a deep breath to settle his anger. “All I ask is that you do not go out alone. You know what Hun is capable of. I cannot bear the thought of losing one of you.”

“It won’t happen again,” Raph promised. 

“See that it doesn’t,” Splinter replied. “Now,” he said as he turned and headed toward the dojo. His eyes fell on the others for a moment and Leo could see the relief in them. “Everyone to the dojo. Due to recent events, we have been lax in your training. It is time we remedy that. We also need to work on getting Tello integrated into the group. The five of you must learn to fight as a team.”

“Hai, Sensei,” the Turtles said in unison. 

Tello helped Raph to stand and they followed after Splinter. “Sorry I got you into trouble,” Tello mumbled. 

“I knew what I was doing.” Raph smiled at Tello and shrugged. “I get in trouble a lot. I just can’t seem to learn my lesson.”

Mikey rushed up behind them and rested his arms across their shoulders. “You two seem to be getting cozy.” A big grin flashed across his face and he wiggled his eye ridges. 

“About as cozy as you and Leo,” Raph grumbled, pushing Mikey’s arm off. 

Mikey’s grin widened. “Leo and I have sex.”

“Mikey!” Leo chided as Raph turned to look at him with a shocked expression. 

Tello’s eyes went wide. “You do?”

“We don’t,” Leo clarified. “Mikey’s just trying to get a reaction out of us.”

“And I got it,” Mikey chuckled. “I wish I had had a camera to capture the looks on your faces.”

“Careful,” Donny warned. “We are about to start practice after all. You don’t want Leo mad at you when you two spar.”

“Leo’s not gonna hurt me,” Mikey purred. “He wuves me.” Leo’s hand came up and struck the back of Mikey’s head. “Ouch,” Mikey hissed, rubbing where Leo had struck. “Maybe not as much as I thought.”

“I don’t see how he puts up with you at all, knucklehead,” Raph chuckled as they entered the dojo. “I swear you’ve only gotten worse.”

“I guess you’re not the only one who can’t seem to learn his lesson,” Tello chuckled. 

Mikey noticed the weapons that had once belonged to Tello’s brothers hanging on the wall. “Are you sure you want those in here?”

“I’ve got enough stuff to hold on to.” Tello shrugged. “It’d be better if they were used. It would be a shame for them to go to waste.” He walked over and grabbed his brother’s nunchakus off the wall and then offered them to Mikey. “You press the button here to activate the kusarigama and blade.”

Mikey stuck his nunchakus in his belt and reached for the ones in Tello’s hands. “A blade? That is awesome.”

“Be careful, Mikey,” Raph said, taking a step back. “There was a reason you didn’t get a bladed weapon.”

Mikey let out a sarcastic laugh. “I’ve gotten better since I was ten. You guys healed.” He pressed the button, causing the blade to pop out and the chain to drop. Mikey’s eyes lit up in excitement. “Oh, Master Splinter, you have to teach me how to use this. If I managed to win the Nexus Tournament with my simple nunchakus, I will be unstoppable with these.”

“I do not think that you would have it mastered in time for the next tournament,” Splinter said, taking the weapon from Michelangelo. “But if you are interested, I will teach you how to use this.”

“Yes,” Mikey silently cheered. 

Tello turned and pulled his brother’s swords from the wall next. As he approached Leo, the turtle leader held up his hand. “No offence but I have a fond attachment to my own swords.” 

“I understand that. However, I looked your swords over,” Tello said as he pulled the hidden blade from the handle. “I noticed yours don’t have this feature. I figured, if anything, I could help you add this to your existing blades.”

“That is a useful feature,” Leo nodded, taking the small blade from Tello. “I would be honored to carry a small trinket of your brother with me. I will not take his swords but if you would help me add this to mine, I would be grateful.”

“Anything special about your brother’s sai?” Raph asked, pointing to the wall. 

Tello shook his head. “They’re the same as yours.”

“You might want to keep the extra set on you since you keep throwing yours in battle,” Leo teased. 

It was Raph’s turn to let out the sarcastic laugh. 

Donny walked up to Tello. “What about your bo?”

Holding his bo away from the others, Tello pressed a button on one end of the staff and a blade came out of the other end. “I made a few modifications,” he grinned. “I got tired of my bo getting broken all the time. Being the only one without a bladed weapon made things a little difficult when we were fighting the Kraang in their robot bodies. Running one through proved to be more effective than smacking it on the head.”

“May I,” Donny asked, extending his hand. With a slight nod, Tello handed his bo over. Donny twirled it in his hands to test the balance. “You managed to counter balance the added weight of the blade on one end.”

“It took some trial and error,” Tello admitted. “But I figured it out.”

“I like my simple bo,” Donny said, pressing the button to retract the blade. “I think the differences in our weapons say a lot about us. It’s nice to know that we are not exactly the same.”

“Yeah,” Tello agreed, accepting his bo back as Donny handed it over. 

“Does it make being here harder or easier for you?” Raph asked. 

Tello shrugged. “It keeps me from letting myself slip into a state of insanity where I make myself believe that you are the family I lost, like I did with my robots. I am able to separate who you are from who they were. So I guess, in a way, it helps to make it easier.”

“Let’s start training,” Splinter interrupted before they could continue down such a depressing topic. They all to turn towards him and bowed. Looking at Tello, Splinter added, “I will conduct my lessons as I usually do. It may be awkward for you at first but don’t let it discourage you. In time you will get the routine down and everything will fall into place.”

“I understand,” Tello nodded. 

“Good,” Splinter said then turned to take his place to watch over their training. “We will start with some basic katas.”

Tello squared his shoulders and moved through the katas as Splinter called them out. He let his mind slip into the familiar pattern of movements. He had to admit that it felt good to train again.


	22. Words

TMNT 100 Theme   
Chapter 22  
Words

 

Snow cooed from her crib, announcing that she was awake. She didn’t usually cry unless she was made to wait too long. Her hand-made mobile with the wood cutouts of painted animals, from her uncle Mikey held her attention for a while. The hand knitted blanket from Raph had been kicked to the foot of the crib next to the only other item in the crib, her toy stuffed horse from Leonardo. It was kept tucked in the corner at the foot of the bed. 

Kicking her feet, Snow continued to coo and gurgle as she waited for someone to come and get her. A smile spread across her face as Donatello’s face came into view and her hand moved up to her mouth. “Ma ma ma,” she managed around her fist.

“Are you hungry?” Donny asked as he lifted his daughter. 

Before anything else could be done there was the matter of Snow’s diaper. Donatello took her over to the changing table and got to work making sure she was clean, softly talking to her while he worked. Her chubby legs kicked out and her blue eyes stayed locked on Donny as she continued to suckle her hand. He had to keep one hand on her at all times to keep her from rolling off. 

“This would go by faster if you didn’t move so much,” Donny chuckled as he secured the diaper. She gurgled in response around her tiny fist. 

Down in the kitchen Donny moved around making Snow’s breakfast while Snow sat in her Bumbo on the floor. She stayed occupied with the few Cheerios Donny had sprinkled on her tray. It took her a few tries to pinch one up with her finger and thumb but once she got a hold on one, she was able to get it to her mouth. Drool dribbled down her chin as she gummed the little oat cereal. 

“Da da da,” Snow babbled, reaching her hand out. 

Donatello turned to see that Raph had entered the kitchen. With a soft smile, Donny bent down and, after quickly cleaning the tray, picked her up. “That’s right,” Donny whispered to her. “Da da.”

“What?” Raph asked as he opened the refrigerator and pulled out the milk. He then proceeded to open the freezer to give Ice Cream Kitty her morning bowl of milk. “Make sure you drink it all before it freezes up.” The ice cream cat meowed in response and started to drink her breakfast before Raph was done pouring it. 

“Nothing,” Donny replied, collecting Snow’s breakfast and heading to the dinning cart. “I was just talking to Snow.”

Donatello wouldn’t say that Snow was a picky eater but she did have a preferred list of foods. Jarred baby food wouldn’t do for her, only freshly mashed fruit and vegetables. Her favorites were bananas mixed with peaches and baby oatmeal and pureed spinach, peas, and rice. 

There was a method to feeding her in order to keep the mess to a minimum. If it wasn’t done right, Snow would put her fist in her mouth after each spoon full of food. As a result most of the food would dribble down her arm. To keep this from happening, her bottle had to be placed in her mouth after each bite. She would work the food around her mouth with the formula and swallow it down with little mess. 

Donatello lifted another spoon full of the cereal mixture but Snow lifted her open hands and flipped them back and forth. With a slight nod of his head Donatello placed the spoon back into the bowl and started to clean up. 

After Snow’s breakfast was done, Donny headed back into the kitchen for a cup of coffee and a bagel. As Don was pouring his coffee, Mikey entered the kitchen. “Let me help you there, Don.”

“Mie, Mie,” Snow giggled as Donny relinquished her to Mikey. 

“Be careful,” Donny warned. “She just ate and she hasn’t burped yet, so don’t move her around too much or you’ll end up with a face full of spit up.”

“Got it,” Mikey said and pulled Snow close so he could pat her back. “You’re getting heavy,” Mikey said softly as he gently bounced her. Snow lay comfortably over her uncle’s shoulder while he helped to work the bubble out of her belly. 

As Mikey bounced and patted, Donny walked over to place a burp cloth on Mikey’s shoulder, just in case. It was a good thing too because it wasn’t long before a little bit of her breakfast came back up accompanied with a small burp. 

Mikey pulled her down off his shoulder and folded the cloth so that he could wipe Snow’s mouth with a clean spot. “Is she safe now?”

“Safer,” Donny chuckled. 

Mikey made faces at Snow, eliciting squealing giggles from her while Donny spread cream cheese on a warm bagel. “Mie Mie Mie,” Snow babbled and reached out for Mikey’s face. She managed to grab hold of the dangling ends of Mikey’s mask and pulled. 

“Hay!” Mikey exclaimed as his mask shifted over his eyes. “If you wanted to play peekaboo all you had to do was ask.” Reaching up he tried to pry her fingers apart but she kept her hold. “Donny, help! She’s not letting go,” Mikey shrieked. 

Laughing, Donny placed his coffee and bagels on the counter. “I’m coming.” He grabbed hold of Snow’s hand and worked her fingers open. “Let it go, sweetie.”

“Ma ma ma,” Snow cooed as she reached for Donny. 

Mikey straightened his mask. “I thought all she said was ‘my my my’.”

“She says several things,” Donny smiled. “You just have to listen.” Balancing Snow with one arm, Don collected his coffee and the bagels. “Sorry I won’t be able to enjoy whatever you make for breakfast this morning, Mikey. I’ve got a busy schedule this morning. I’m gonna show Tello around the lab and get him familiar with what I’ve got going. I have a feeling that once he is up to speed, I will have a lot more free time on my hands.”

“Two geniuses working on a project will get finished ten times faster,” Mikey agreed with a nod. 

“You’re logic is sound,” Donny winked, taking a sip of his coffee as he turned to leave. 

Donny’s next stop was the dojo in search of Tello. Since he was behind in his training, Leonardo had agreed to give Tello extra lessons in the mornings. It didn’t take much to get Leo in the dojo for extra training. Donny knew that Leo was counting down the days to when he could finally start training Snow. He had caught Leo teaching Snow how to throw a punch on more than one occasion. 

Don opened the dojo door to find Leo staring in shock. Following Leo’s line of sight, Don saw what could have only been Tello tucked into his shell. Leo looked up at Don and gestured down at Tello. “We can’t do that. How can he do that?”

Shrugging, Donny walked over and looked down at Tello. “Does it hurt?”

Poking his head out, Tello shook his head. “No.” He then slid his arms and legs out and then stood up. “I will admit that it’s a little cramped and hard to breathe but it’s painless.”

“I wish I had a way to take a ct scan of you while you were like that,” Donny admitted. 

“Maybe one day,” Tello chuckled. 

“Are you ready?” Donny asked. Then holding out the bagels he added, “I’ve got breakfast. There are several things I want to go over with you before I will feel comfortable with you working in the lab. It’s not that I don’t trust you or think you aren’t smart enough to figure things out. It’s just that I am particular about a few things.”

“I understand,” Tello nodded. “I’m the same way.”

Donny smiled as he handed Snow over to Leo. “I have already cleared a spot out for you so that you will have your own space. It’s a system Leatherhead and I have worked out. I have my work station and projects, he has his, and we have our team projects.”

“I can’t wait to get back to work,” Tello admitted as they made their way out of the dojo. 

“I guess it’s just you and me now,” Leo said to Snow. 

“Le Le,” She said with a giggle and a smile. 

“What shall we do?” Leo smiled back, tickling her belly. “How about I tell you a story? I’ve got a great one about and honorable warrior who practiced bushido.” He continued to speak in a soft even tone as he sat on the floor, holding Snow down in his lap so she could look up at him.

Snow loved to hear her uncle Leo’s voice and her eyes stayed fixed on his lips as he formed his words. Sometimes she would babble as if she was trying to repeat what Leo had said. He was telling her the story of how Usagi had come to Splinter’s aid when Drako had attacked out of jealousy. 

As Leo told the story, Splinter joined them in the dojo. “You tell that story better than I ever have.” He sat down next to Leo and smiled down at Snow.

“It is a good story, father,” Leo replied. 

Snow reached out to Splinter as he came into her view. “Ji Ji”

Splinter lifted his hand so Snow could grab hold of Splinter’s finger. Tilting his head to the side, Leo considered Snow before looking at Splinter. “That strange. Earlier it sounded like she was saying ‘Le’ but now it sounds like she’s saying ‘Ji’.”

“That’s because I am her OJisan,” Splinter replied, shaking the finger Snow was holding as he continued to look down at his granddaughter. “Donatello has been showing her pictures of our family and teaching her our names. She said ‘Le’ for you because she is trying to say ‘Leo’.”

“Oh,” Leo looked back down at Snow. “I had no idea.”

“He is also teaching her baby sign language,” Splinter continued. “She is a smart girl and is picking up on it fast.”

“Maybe she is ready for some training,” Leo joked, leaning in close to give her Eskimo kisses. 

“At least wait until she is walking,” Leatherhead chuckled as he entered the dojo. “I’m sorry if I am interrupting anything but Donatello told me that I would find Snow in here with you. After breakfast we are going to have some tummy time.”

“Pa Pa,” Snow shrieked in joy, kicking her feet. Her pinky and thumb were stuck out from each fist and she flipped her hands back and forth. 

“Yes, Snow.” Leatherhead leaned down to pick her up. “We are going to play after I get something to eat.” She cooed in delight and kicked her legs, repeating “Pa Pa” over and over. 

“Breakfast!” Mikey bellowed from the kitchen. 

“It was Michelangelo’s turn to cook?” Leatherhead asked, turning towards the door.

“Yes,” Leo answered as he stood up. He then turned to help Splinter stand. 

Leatherhead chuckled softly. “That explains why Donatello chose today to introduce Tello to the lab.” He looked down at Snow in his arms. “Mama has grown tired of scrambled eggs. That seemed to be the only breakfast food they could make at the Foot headquarters. Mama likes things sweet.”

Leo laughed as he led the way out of the dojo. “I promise not to tell Mikey the truth.”


	23. Cat

TMNT 100 Theme  
Chapter 23  
Cat

 

Ice Cream Kitty mewed when Mikey opened the freezer door and Klunk mewed in response from her perch on top of the freezer. When Mikey first presented Ice Cream Kitty to Klunk, the orange cat hissed and swatted at the new mutant. It took a few weeks to get them used to each other and it wasn’t easy. Now Mikey often found Klunk on top of the freezer pawing at the door in an attempt to get at her new friend. 

After pulling the empty food bowl out and putting it in the sink, Mikey lifted Ice Cream Kitty from the freezer and placed her in a large mixing bowl. Tello had told him about all of the different things his brother had done with his beloved pet. So Mikey made sure to take time out of every day to give the mutant cat some time out of the freezer. The fact that she didn’t suffocate in there still amazed Mikey.

Klunk jumped down and padded after Mikey as he walked out of the kitchen. Mikey led the way to his old room where he had set up an elaborate cat play area. The beginning stages of a play area, with a freezer unit in it, was sitting in the corner. Tello and Donny were going to attach it to Klunk’s play area so that the two cats could play together without the fear of Ice Cream Kitty melting or Klunk getting too cold. They were planning on going to the junk yard that night to get the last few components they needed to finish it. Mikey was looking forward to the night out. It had been too long since the last time they left the lair. 

Klunk jumped up onto the first platform and sat down to watch Mikey place Ice Cream Kitty next to her. Purring, Klunk rubbed her head against Ice Cream Kitty’s and then they proceeded to lick each other. 

“Try not to eat Ice Cream Kitty, Klunk,” Mikey teased. Klunk never licked so much that there was ever any fear of her consuming Ice Cream Kitty but that didn’t stop Mikey from joking about it. Oddly enough, Klunk never got sick from the dairy that made up Ice Cream Kitty’s body. 

The mutated cat was an interesting creature. She seemed to be an endless supply of ice cream and could be closed up in the freezer without needing any air. She was able to rid herself of any of Klunk’s hair that got stuck in her creamy body. If she had any internal organs or digestive system she showed no sign of one. Though they fed her cream every day there was never any waste later. She did, however, melt so they had to be careful with time management when they had her outside of the freezer. 

One thing Mikey knew for sure, Ice Cream Kitty was one happy cat. She loved it when Mikey pet her, leaning into the touch. When Mikey pulled his hand away, instead of hair, it was covered with ice cream. “I don’t know which is worse,” he mumbled as he wiped his hand on a towel. He had learned early on to keep one near at all times and to never pet Ice Cream Kitty before petting Klunk. It was just gross. 

There was a knock at the door, followed by Leo poking his head into the room. “Can I come in?”

“Absolutely,” Mikey answered as he finished wiping his hand. “I’m always happy to see my favorite brother. Did you need something?”

Entering the room, Leo closed the door behind him. “I was alone and I need to be in the same room as someone.”

Mikey nodded his understanding. “You had another nightmare last night.” Leonardo had opened up to his brother about his fears and the nightmares that haunted him. His nightmares were usually of Shredder and watching his brothers killed one by one. If it wasn’t Shredder, it was Bishop. And though he hides it from the others, there was lingering pain from where Karai had stabbed him. 

“We could have lost Donatello. Once again I stood there, watching another brother dying, and there was nothing I could do to stop it. I think about what happened to Tello and I know we’ve come close….” Leo wasn’t able to say anything more before Mikey held Klunk out for him. 

“Pet the cat,” Mikey stated flatly. He had a feeling that Tello’s situation would trigger Leo’s fears. Why wouldn’t they? Tello had lived out the very thing that Leo had nightmares about. It was bound to have an effect on him. Mikey was going to do all he could to keep those fears from taking hold on Leo. Not again. “It does wonders for your stress levels. You’ll feel it all melt away as she purrs in your lap. Cats are therapeutic.”

“Okay,” Leo replied as Mikey dumped Klunk into his arms. “I was hoping that we could talk. I’m not in the mood to play with your cat.”

“Take her over there and play with her,” Mikey ordered. “There is a box of toys for her. And if you really want a good laugh, give her the one with the catnip.”

Mikey turned his attention back towards Ice Cream Kitty and held out a ball on a string for her. Looking over his shoulder, Mikey saw Leo absentmindedly stroking Klunk’s head as he sat down. With a soft sigh, Mikey said, “Don’t linger on it, Leo. We’re fine. But if you need to get it out of your system, then go ahead and vent.”

“Donny was captured and replaced with an unstable clone and Raph was almost killed,” Leo argued, keeping his eyes on the floor. “Hun has a blood vendetta against us. Bishop wants to breed us so he can have his own little army of Turtles. I’ve watched two of my brothers teeter on the brink of death and I was powerless to help them. I wouldn’t say that everything is fine.” 

“We’re alive, Leo,” Mikey countered. “Shredder is dead, vaporized. Karai is an ally, we just need to get everyone else on board with moving into the Food headquarters.”

Leo looked up. “You would be willing to move?”

Mikey shrugged. “If Karai wanted to hurt us, she has had plenty of times to do it. I think her desire to be allies is legit. I wouldn’t mind living in a secure location with other mutants and the possibility of love.”

“The always open food court with its ice cream dispenser wouldn’t have anything to do with your decision would it?” Leo quipped, managing a soft smile.

“It would be nice to not have to cook ever again,” Mikey admitted. “Or do the dishes.”

“You do realize that we wouldn’t be allowed to freeload,” Leo pointed out. “We would have to work.”

Mikey turned to face Leo. “Wouldn’t being a ninja be our job?”

“Yes, but I’m sure we would have chores, much like the ones we have here as well,” Leo chuckled. “The dishes don’t clean themselves. The Foot is a secret society. They can’t hire a cleaning crew to do it all so they would have to use members of the Foot. I’m sure they have some sort of rotating schedule like we do.”

Mikey moaned and Leo laughed. 

“Besides,” Leo continued. “Doing chores builds character.”

Mikey rolled his eyes and snorted. “Signing up with the Foot doesn’t sound so good now. That would be so many dishes.”

“We would be safer,” Leo pointed out, looking down once again as he ran his hand down Klunk’s back. “I would lose my mind with grief if I ever lost one of you.”

“You have to stop that, Leo.” Mikey lifted Ice Cream Kitty’s bowl and headed over to sit down next to Leo. “Stop going to the worst possible scenario. Look at what we have going for us instead. Donny is fine and he’s stable, thanks to Tello. It might be a different body but it’s still him and, you never know, we might get more babies out of him. We all love babies. We have Tello, that brings our resident genius count to three now, and he’s bonded with Raph, which is doing wonders for the both of them. We’ll be fine, Leo.”

Leo rubbed the bridge of his beak. “I’m trying.”

“I know,” Mikey soothed. “You’ve been through a lot. It can’t be easy for you as the leader of our little clan. You know that I’m here for you whenever you need to unburden yourself.”

“I don’t want to be a bother,” Leo whispered. 

“You’re not,” Mikey smiled. He placed his hand on Leo’s shoulder and gave it a gentle squeeze. “I love you.”

“I love you too.” Leo leaned towards Mikey and they pressed their foreheads together. “Thank you.”

“No problem, bro,” Mikey said with a smile. 

They sat together, playing with the cats until it was time to place Ice Cream Kitty back into the freezer. “When the two geniuses finish up your new play area, you won’t have to be cooped up in that old freezer anymore,” Mikey cooed to the mutant cat as he stood. “You’ll have more freedom. But for now, let’s get you back into the freezer before you become a puddle of goop.”

Mikey got to the door and looked over his shoulder at Leo as he reached for the handle. “Feel free to stay in here with Klunk for as long as you like. Just remember that we are heading out to the junk yard later.”

“I remember,” Leo nodded as he rolled a ball across the floor and watched Klunk chase it. “I think I will stay in here a bit.” 

“Okay,” Mikey replied then added with a grin, “You can clean the sticky remains of ICK out of Klunk’s fur,” and left to return Ice Cream Kitty to the freezer before Leo could respond.


	24. Seeking Solace

TMNT 100 Theme  
Chapter 24  
Seeking Solace

 

Leonardo opened his eyes and was greeted by the dim light from the alarm clock and the sounds of Mikey sleeping next to him. Having his brother share the room with him, after all they had been through, helped to ease Leo’s stress. However, as great as it was to have him around, there were times that Leo wanted to be alone. As a matter of fact it was exactly what he wanted that moment. Certain needs had to be met.

With a soft nudge, Leo attempted to gently wake his little brother. As expected, Mikey was deep asleep. Leonardo had no idea how Mikey could sleep so deeply. He was always so relaxed despite the training and the trauma he had lived through. It was one of the things Leo admired the most about his brother. 

The stress plagued Leo every moment of his life. Maybe it was because Mikey didn’t have the burden leadership that he was able to stay so carefree. Leo would gladly burden the stress if it meant that Mikey could continue to stay so innocent. It was that carefree nature that helped to keep Leo sane. 

“Hey,” Leo whispered harshly, shaking Mikey. “It’s your turn to make breakfast.”

Mikey moaned and buried his face in his pillow. “I’m making oatmeal in the slow cooker.”

Rolling his eyes, Leo sat up in bed; just his luck. He wanted his morning to himself and Mikey set it up so that he could sleep in. There weren’t many options open to Leo. It wasn’t like he could do it in the shower; it was an open space where anyone could enter at any time. So the only option was the bedroom. Leo liked it better in the bedroom anyway. He had access to all that he needed and there was a small sink to clean up afterwards. He just needed the room to himself. He knew Mikey was going to get the hint. A thing that Leo would rather Mikey not know about. Leo heaved a deep sigh. “I would like to be alone this morning.”

Mikey turned his head enough to look up at Leo. A knowing smile spread across his beak. “Alright. I’ll get up.” It was one of the biggest down sides to sharing a room. Most of the time, Leo knew when Mikey was… pleasuring himself and vice versa. 

“Thanks,” Leo mumbled as Mikey got up. 

“I’ll use my extra time to candy some nuts for the oatmeal or something.” Mikey yawned, stretching as he did. “Don would like that. I wonder if Tello has as big a sweet tooth as Donny-boy does.”

“You could ask him,” Leo said as he got out of bed. 

“I’m going,” Mikey replied and headed for the door. Locking the nob on the way out, Mikey looked over his shoulder and grinned at Leo. “Don’t make a mess. I don’t want to sleep on sticky sheets.” Mikey shut the door before Leo could stammer out a reply.

Leo walked over and checked the door just to be sure that it was locked before he pulled out his laptop and headphones. It was bad enough Mikey knew what he was going to be doing, he didn’t need the others knowing that he did it to porn. He didn’t watch the porn as much as listen to it. The rough demands of the women turned him on. It was a part of himself he never wanted his family to know about. 

The files on his computer were hidden as best as he knew how and the computer was password protected on top of that. The only one who could hack into his computer was Donny and Leo trusted him not to. In fact, Donatello was so trust worthy that if Leo needed any work done on his laptop he knew that he could trust his brother to fix it without going through his private files. 

After setting up his laptop, Leo pulled out his box from its hiding spot. He didn’t know where Mikey’s was, nor did he care to. Each of them got a box from Donatello a few years ago, along with a laptop. Donny knew that they all had needs that weren’t being met and did his best to make sure that they could satisfy them on their own. 

The boxes contained a few sex toys, including a fleshlight, and lubricant. All they had to do when they used up their bottle of lubricant was take the empty bottle to Don to get a replacement. He kept himself adequately supplied. The laptops have tough firewall software that would help protect them from getting any malware. Every so often Donny asked for them back to perform updates and to make sure they were free of any viruses. 

Leonardo pulled out the fleshlight and his bottle of lubricant. He could tell by the weight of the bottle he was getting close to needing a new one. He hated going to Donny for more. He would have preferred to keep this sort of thing private. The less they knew the better. These little subtle announcements to his brothers were embarrassing. 

Pushing those thoughts aside, Leonardo got everything ready. As much as he wished he could simply meditate the urges away, he couldn’t. 

He squeezed some lubricant into the fleshlight and placed it on the bed, under a pillow to hold it in place. He then slipped the headphones on and pressed play on his laptop. “Oh yeah…. Fuck me!” the woman’s voice came over the headphones. He listened to the woman’s urging voice as he slid into the slick silicone. Closing his eyes he focused on the sensation and the words. “Is that all you got?” the woman demanded. “Harder!” And Leo complied. “Oh right there,” the woman continued. “Fuck me right there. Oh shit yeah.”

Leo’s fingers dug into the sheets as he reached climax. He held his breath against the churr so he would not announce to the lair what he was doing. He had a brief moment of disappointment that such a foul mouth could set him off like it did. But it was what he liked and he prayed that no one ever found out about it. 

…….. 

Tello sat in the small shrine with his back against the wall, just under Mikey’s shell, staring at the picture of his family. Closing his eyes he reminisced. He could still hear Mikey’s laugh, see his big blue eyes as he looked up at him in utter confusion, and then the times when he surprised them all with his intuition. 

A sad smile crossed Tello’s beak as he remembered the time they shot Raph with arrows while insulting him. He was so quick to anger and insult but he also expressed the deepest level of compassion. 

And then there was Leo. He was such a dork but he was also dedicated and forced to grow up too fast. They all were. They just wanted to have fun that first day they went to the surface. They didn’t want to be thrust into a war. Part of him wished that they had never asked their father to be allowed to go up. But what would have happened to the rest of the world if they hadn’t? Would Shredder have been able to stop the invasion? Would he have cared enough to? Why was it their burden to bear?

He couldn’t help but wonder if liberating his brothers’ remains had helped them at all to be a peace. He looked up at Leo’s shell, on the center wall, at all the scars from his torture. There was a thick hole on the upper left side of Raph’s. The one on his plastron had been bigger, but Shredder didn’t keep that part. 

Why did those memories always force themselves to the surface when he was trying to remember the happier times? He wanted to remember their laughter, not their screams or cries for help. 

“Donatello,” Splinter’s voice echoed from just beyond the curtain. “I can sense your distress.” Pulling the curtain aside, Splinter looked down at Tello. “Come with me.”

With a slight nod of his head, Tello wiped the tears from his eyes and stood up. He followed Splinter into the dojo. “Meditate with me,” Splinter said as he pulled the orb from its spot on the shelf and placed it on the floor. 

Tello took his spot on the mat and focused his mind on the orb and his family. 

“I know your mind is troubled right now, but try to think of them at their best,” Splinter instructed, softly. “It will give them the strength they need to come to you whole.”

Tello felt the orb reach out to him and did not hesitate to reach back. It was like a wave washed over him and surrounded him in warmth. 

“Donnie!” he heard Mikey call out to him. “Have I got news for you.” Tello smiled as Mikey came into view and rushed forward for a warm hug. “There are other turtles here from other worlds who are also waiting to be born into your world. We’ve been sharing stories and getting to know each other. One group said that they knew the Donatello from your world. They all died later in life or quickly and were able to handle it better so they won’t carry their scars with them.”

“Mikey,” Leo hissed out a warning. “You can’t give too much away. We don’t want to chance messing all of this up.”

“Sorry,” Mikey mumbled, looking down at his feet. “I’m gonna miss having three toes.”

Raph came up and smacked Mikey on the back of the head. “Shut up.”

“Ouch,” Mikey complained, rubbing the back of his head. He looked up at Donnie. “Can you believe that it still hurts when they hit me, even here in the spirit world?”

Tello laughed at his brothers’ antics. “You all look well.”

Leo nodded. “The shrine you build helped to build our strength.”

“Oh good,” Tello sighed and then tilted is head to the side. “You know about that?”

“Yeah,” Raph nodded. “We know. When you cremated Splinter’s pelt he was able to enter into his next life.”

“Is it Karai’s child, like Miwa thinks?” Tello asked. 

“Yeah,” Leo nodded. “I think it’s safe to tell you that now.”

“What about Shen?” Tello asked. “Has she left for her new life?”

Leo and Raph shared a look before Raph answered. “She has to wait a few years before she is able to go. And we can’t tell you where she is going.”

“I understand,” Tello nodded. Smiling he reached out to Leo and rested his hand on his brother’s shoulder. “I’m just glad you are doing better. How are the others?”

“April and Casey are getting ready to go,” Leo answered. “April’s death was kind of quick so she won’t be affected as much. Casey, on the other hand, suffered for a while so… he will. Leatherhead’s decided that he didn’t want to be reborn so he has moved on. And Slash is just waiting for his time to go. He’s going to be reborn about the same time we are.”

“Is it soon?” Tello dared to ask. 

“We’ve got a while,” Mikey answered with a shrug. “We can’t tell you anything more than that.”

“But you’ll tell me,” Tello pleaded. “You’ll tell me before you go? I don’t want to come back here to find that you all are gone. I want to be able to say goodbye.”

“We’ll tell you,” Raph reassured him. “I promise.”

“You should probably go,” Mikey said as he put a hand on his chest. “It’s getting hard for me to breathe.”

Tello turned to Mikey and pulled him into his arms. “Is it because I’m here? Are you getting tired again?” 

“No,” Raph answered. “Being tired only makes it hard for us to hide our scars. Every so often, we relive our deaths. It’s a spirit thing, I guess. We won’t be able to hold our concentration while it happens. You’ll be able to see the scars that our deaths have left on our souls.”

“I don’t want to go through it again,” Mikey said in a panic and Tello held him tighter. “I don’t like not being able to breathe. It hurts.”

“You should go,” Leo said, placing his hand on Tello’s shoulder. “Mikey’s is kind of long. You shouldn’t have to go through it again. And aside from that, like Raph said, you’ll be able to see our scars.”

Tello shook his head. “I wasn’t able to comfort Mikey then. I’m not going to leave him now.” Mikey gasped for air and stopped breathing. His knees buckled and Tello guided him to the ground, still cradling him in his arms. Mikey’s eyes were fogged over and his skin was ashen. He looked as if his dead body had just been pulled out of the river. “I’ve got you, Mikey.”

Mikey gasped and clung to Tello. “Don’t let them send me back down,” he pleaded before he held his breath again. It felt as if they were underwater. It felt real enough that Tello almost started to hold his breath. But he knew it was just in his mind. He was safe in the lair, in the dojo with Splinter next to him. It wasn’t real. He could breathe.

“I’m here, Mikey,” Tello soothed. “It isn’t real. It’s just a vivid memory.” He looked over his shoulder at his brothers, who were frozen in place like they couldn’t do anything else. Blood seeped from Raph’s ears and his eyes were gone. Leo somehow still managed to concentrate enough to hide his scars. Tello looked back down at Mikey and held his little brother’s head with both hands in an attempt to get Mikey to look at him. “It isn’t real Mikey. Breathe. You’re not under water. It’s all in your head.” He looked back at his brothers. “You’re not in cages. Snap out of it!” Pressing his forehead against Mikey’s, Tello screamed, “Breathe!”

Mikey gasped and grabbed hold of Tello. “It’s just in my head,” he rasped out. “It’s not real.”

“You don’t have to relive it,” Tello soothed. “Think of a good time. Remember being out at the farm, being able to run out in the open field and bask in the sun?”

Mikey nodded his head. “That was nice.” The sensation of being underwater started to fade and it was replaced with the feeling of warmth. Some of the color returned to Mikey and he looked up at Tello with is bright blue eyes. “I remember the first time we looked up at the stars. There were so many in the sky. It was so beautiful.” It didn’t last and Mikey’s color once again started to fade but at least he was calm. 

“And then the fireflies as they started to dance around us made it look like we were surrounded by the stars.” Tello fought the urge to cry as he continued to hold on to Mikey. “And then one landed on your nose. We both started laughing.”

“Thank you, Donnie,” Mikey whispered, curling into Tello’s arms. 

“We don’t have to relive our deaths,” Raph said, dropping to his knees behind Tello. “We can fight against it.”

“You really helped us today, Donnie,” Leo stated, placing his hand on Tello’s shoulder. “But we are all starting to get tired. You don’t want to see me when I get too tired to hide my scars. It’s not a pretty sight.”

“Okay,” Tello nodded. “I’ll go. I’m glad you’re doing better.”

“We’ll see you later, Donnie,” Raph said and collected Mikey from Tello. “We’ll be okay.”

Pulling himself away from the orb, Tello opened his eyes. Splinter reached over and placed his hand over Tello’s. “Did it help?”

“Yeah,” Tello nodded. “It did.”


	25. Pain

TMNT 100 Theme  
Chapter 25  
Pain

 

When Raphael opened his eyes he felt a wave of nausea wash over him. He knew it was a bad idea to skip his pills the night before but he was low and was unable to go out for more. When he tried to move his whole body was stiff with pain and a full body shiver overcame him. 

“You okay?” Tello asked, propping himself up to look down at Raph. “You don’t look so hot.”

“Some mornings my body is a little stiffer than others,” Raph replied. “It all depends on the level of activity from the previous day.” It wasn’t entirely a lie. Taking a deep breath he let it out slowly while he forced his body to move. “I’ll be a little slow but once I start moving I’ll get better.”

“Okay,” Tello said with a slight nod. He waited for Raph to work his way out of the hammock, assisting him when needed, and then got up. “Do you need any help?”

“No,” Raph waved him off and tried to hide the fact that the simple act hurt. “You go on down to breakfast. I’m gonna do a few stretches to get my muscles warmed up and then I’ll join you.”

“Alright,” Tello said as he headed to the door. “If you’re sure.”

Raph forced a smile. “I’ll be fine.” He waited for Tello to leave before allowing himself to wince in pain. By sheer will and determination, Raph made it over to where he had his pills hidden. He dumped four into his hand and looked into the bottle to count how many he had left. There were only ten so he put one back. It was going to be a rough day. He had to somehow make it out tonight to get more. 

He managed to make it through breakfast well enough. Any time someone asked him if he was alright he simply answered that he was stiff from the day before. They all chided him for pushing himself too hard. He quipped back, “How else am I supposed to get better if I don’t push my limits?” 

By the time they entered the dojo for morning practice the drugs had fully kicked in. Since he had only taken three he was still a little stiff but not enough to slow him down. He was even able to beat Mikey and Don a few times. It was a good boost to his ego. 

“Don’t overdo it, Raph,” Leo chided. Splinter had let Leonardo oversee the training for that morning. It was his way of slowly passing full control of the clan to Leonardo. He managed himself well in the role. It helped that Raph cooperated more than he did when they were younger. If Splinter had tried this three years ago, Raph would have given Leo a run for his money. But now, Raph was glad to see his brother taking over the head of the family. One thing was for sure, Raph didn’t want it. Not anymore.

“I’m fine, Leo,” Raph replied. “I know my limits. I might be stiff in the morning but that’s what comes with building muscle. I’ve been through all of this before. I’m not going to overdo it.”

“Good,” Leo said, nodding his head. “And, it’s good to see that you are almost back to your old self.”

“Almost?” Raph turned and faced Leo. “I think I’m better.” 

Leo smiled as he stepped forward. “Oh?” His moves were graceful and calculated. Even though Leo’s body looked relaxed, Raph could tell that he was ready to move at a moment’s notice. It was time for another test and this time, Raph was determined to pass. 

“Yeah.” Raph moved into a stance. Neither of them had their weapons so that meant that Leo wanted to test Raph’s hand to hand combat. That was fine with Raph. He liked getting up close and personal in a fight. 

“Let’s test that theory. Shall we?” Leo moved with such speed that it almost took Raph off guard. Where Leonardo was the water, Raphael was the mountain. Though he was fast, by most standards, Raph wasn’t as fast as his brothers due to his bulk. But he was stronger and a strike against his solid muscle was painful for the attacker. He could deflect or absorb hits with ease and wait for an opening. 

Of course Leo knew this. Being the leader it was his job to know each of their strengths and weaknesses. Despite the fact that Raph was still recovering in Leo’s eyes, he wasn’t about to hold back. Like before, Leo wanted to test Raph’s ability. He would determine whether or not Raph was ready. 

The fight was an even match and they each got in a few good hits. But in the end, Leo was the victor. Raph knelt on the ground, his chest heaving with each breath. His eye stayed fixed on Leo as he waited for his verdict. The one thing Raph knew he was going to take away from the fight was that Leo was as winded as he was. 

A smile spread across Leo’s beak as he nodded his head. “Alright. You were right. You’re now fighting at the same level, if not better, than before the attack.”

Dropping his head, Raph heaved a deep sigh and fought the overwhelming urge to cry. It meant that he would be included in patrols more often and would be allowed to fight. When he looked up again Leo was there with an extended hand. Raph accepted the help up. “Thank you.” There was so much in those two little words, so much for him to be grateful for. 

After practice they headed to the shower. They took turns scrubbing each other’s carapaces with a rough brush. It was a good way to insure that they got all of the grime out and the fact that it felt good didn’t hurt. The group shower had been a little intimidating for Tello in the first few weeks since arriving. He was used to showering on his own. Over time, he grew more comfortable and now he joined in the occasional banter and roughhousing. The more Raph talked to Tello the more he wondered how different his life would have been if Splinter had been a mutated human instead of a mutated rat. 

When they finished their shower Raph headed down to the kitchen to get something to eat and was met by the smell of freshly baked cookies. He headed for the platform and heard voices coming from the dining car. A smile spread across his face as he rushed in to greet his guest.

“Mrs. M!” Raph said and went straight for her. “When did you get here?” Mrs. Morrison was sitting at the table drinking tea with April and Casey. A plate piled high with snickerdoodle cookies sat in the middle of the table. After giving Mrs. Morrison a kiss on the cheek, Raph grabbed a couple of cookies. 

“You boys were still in the dojo practicing,” she answered. “I had called Mr. and Mrs. Jones this morning and asked them if they could bring me here.”

“We called Master Splinter to see if it would be okay,” April added. “We wanted it to be a bit of a surprise for you.”

“Thank you,” Raph said as he sat next to Mrs. Morrison. He missed being able to go visit her regularly. It was too dangerous to make it a regular thing now. Besides the fact that Raph was forbidden to go out on his own, if Bishop ever found out about her, he could use her to get to the Turtles. Raph would do anything to keep her safe. 

“I wanted to visit with you for a while,” she said with a smile. “That and I wanted to finally meet that baby of yours.”

Raph was on his feet as soon as Mrs. Morrison mentioned Snow. “I’ll go get her now.”

He rushed up the stairs to where Leatherhead was watching Snow while she played. “Da Da,” Snow cooed as soon as Raph entered the room and her arms shot up towards him. 

“Hey, baby girl.” Raph reached down and picked her up, kissing her plump cheek. “There’s someone here to see you.”

“Who might that be?” Leatherhead asked. 

“Mrs. Morrison,” Raph replied as he made his way out of the room. “You should come down and meet her too. There’re cookies on the table.” Raph didn’t wait for Leatherhead to respond. He was out the door and back down the stairs as fast as he could go. 

His brothers were already in the dining cart by the time he returned. It was a good thing he had already nabbed a few of the cookies. The once full plate now sat empty. Raph walked over and glared down at Mikey, who had occupied the seat next to Mrs. Morrison. “Move.”

“You see?” Mikey complained as he got up. “He can be mean.” Raph swatted Mikey’s arm. “He just hit me,” Mikey said, not moving from his spot. 

“Mikey,” Raph growled, in no mood to deal with Mikey’s antics. Mrs. Morrison was special to him, his surrogate grandmother, his peace and he didn’t want Mikey moving in. 

Mrs. Morrison reached over and placed her hand on Mikey’s knee. “Be a dear and let Raphael sit there. I would like him near as I am introduced to the baby to help keep her calm.”

“Alright,” Mikey relented and got up. Raph glared at him the whole time and made sure to wordlessly make it clear that Mikey was in for a painful payback later. As soon as his brother was out of the way, Raph sat down and scooted the chair closer to Mrs. Morrison. 

“This is Mrs. Morrison,” Raph said softly to Snow. “She is a dear friend of mine.” 

Gently, Raph placed Snow on Mrs. Morrison’s lap. The child’s head swiveled up and her blue eyes studied the old woman’s face as Mrs. Morrison’s hands moved to examine Snow. “She is a good size.”

“Considering how small she was when she was born, she has grown a lot.” Raph agreed. 

“Turtle and Crocodile babies tend to be a good deal smaller than their parents,” Mrs. Morrison stated as a matter of fact. 

“It was a good thing she was so small,” Donny added before taking a sip of his coffee as Leatherhead entered the dining cart. “If she were the size of a human baby, I don’t think I would have been able to give birth to her. My hips aren’t made to separate.” He pulled out a few cookies that he had been hiding in his lap and handed them to Leatherhead. 

Snow babbled up at Mrs. Morrison as if trying to have a conversation. Mrs. Morrison smiled and softly replied with things like, “Is that right?” and “You don’t say”. A wide, toothless smile spread across Snow’s face every time she got a reply out of Mrs. Morrison. 

“You have such a sweet voice,” Mrs. Morrison said to her. “And you are such a sweet baby.”

“It’s hard to believe she’s Raph’s,” Mikey quipped, earning himself a warning glare from Raph. “Maybe she gets it from Donny,” he dared to continue. Mikey sure liked to press his luck. It was a good thing for Mikey that there was nothing in the area that Raph dared to throw and that he was currently sitting out of Raph’s reach. 

They sat and talked for about another hour. Snow remained in Mrs. Morrison’s lap the whole time. Donny had even let Mrs. Morrison feed Snow her lunch. It was a good visit, enough to help get Raph’s mind off the pain. But it was over too soon. 

As they said their goodbyes, Raph thanked Casey and April for bringing her over. “Make sure she gets home safe.”

“We will,” Casey assured him. “We’re not going to take her directly home. We’ve got it all planned out so we don’t risk her being seen with us. We’re going to make our way to one of the other subway stations that is close to her home. I’ll be back later today and we can watch the game together.”

“That sounds good,” Raph nodded. “I’ll see you around four then. It’s Leo’s turn to cook so come hungry.”

“Oh?” April chimed in. “If that’s the case, I think I will be stopping by later on tonight as well. There’s some things I want to go over with Don anyway.”

They led Mrs. Morrison out while Donny took Snow to get her ready for her nap. Raph turned and saw Mikey making his way up the stairs and ran up after him. With a squeal of terror Mikey ran up the steps, taking three at a time. Raph wasn’t really going to hurt his brother but it was fun to make him think that he was.


	26. Trouble Lurking

TMNT 100 Theme  
Chapter 26  
Trouble Lurking

 

Hun was livid. Someone has been stealing from him but he couldn’t figure out who it was. At first he thought it was an inside job and that one of his men was skimming from the top. He had interrogated each of them, accidently killing a few. Once his own men were cleared, he started going after the thugs on the streets. He quickly discovered that they were all too stupid to break into his warehouses undetected. Rival gangs were his next target. Every one of them claimed that they wouldn’t dare cross him. 

At one point, one of his men suggested that it might simply be a clerical error. The thugs that made up the Purple Dragons were mostly high school dropouts. Math wasn’t their strong suit. But only one drug ever came up short, the rest were always properly done. It was no clerical error. Hun was certain that someone was stealing from him and he was determined to find out who it was. 

He personally stayed in the warehouse every night for a month, waiting for whoever it was to strike again. He made sure to get the word out that he had a large supply of high quality of the particular item that was stolen. 

His patience paid off. He remained hidden as he heard someone enter the warehouse. The supply of the drug was in clear view of Hun’s hiding spot. The plan wasn’t to capture the thief, just to find out who it was. He had his own plan working on how to get revenge. 

The thief took their time. Whoever it was, was no fool. They managed to avoid the cameras and took a few pills from several bottles instead of one whole bottle. After several minutes the thief jumped down into view and got to work. 

Hun couldn’t believe what he was seeing. Once the shock wore off it took all of his self-control to keep from laughing out loud. This was better than he had intended back when he beat him nearly to death. Raphael was the thief. The fact that he was stealing pain pills with doses so high that they were strictly for hospital use led Hun to believe that he had an addiction, an addiction that he kept hidden from his family. 

This was too good to be true. Oh the possibilities. He could simply let Raphael continue to steal from him. The addiction would eventually be his downfall. He could lace the pills with something even more addicting that would mess with Raphael’s mind, maybe even result in Raphael killing one of his brothers in a blind rage. Or he could poison them, but that would not make Raphael’s suffering last and Hun wanted him to suffer. 

He would let Raphael go, for now. Hun knew how addiction worked, he had seen enough people succumb to it. Raphael had a hard addiction. There was time to enact his revenge. 

……

Once a week, Leonardo visited with Karai in the Foot headquarters. As always he brought at least one of his brothers with him. This time all but one came. Mikey had joined him so that he could get some ice cream and chat with the other mutants. Donnie and Tello came along so that they could share notes of their research of the mutagen with Dr. Chaplin and run a few tests. Raphael refused to join them, choosing instead to lock himself up in his collection room. He still hated the Foot and trusted them as far as he could spit. 

Leonardo believed that if it hadn’t been for Raphael, they would have been moved into the Foot headquarters months ago. The Foot Clan was a respectable organization under the leadership of Karai. They had opened up a training dojo for children and they competed on a national level. They had quickly made a name for themselves, winning several championships. 

The Foot also worked closely with the Justice Force. They used their skills and technology to fight against various villains, including the Purple Dragons. 

Leonardo sat with Silver Sentry and Karai as they went over various reports. Hun was active in drugs and weapons distribution. He was on the news every day and was the most wanted man in New York. But he was also the most powerful and managed to stay hidden from the authorities. His network was huge. 

“I fear what he is capable of doing,” Karai stated. “He could destroy the city on a whim if he so desired.”

Silver Sentry nodded his head in agreement. “He is like a cancer that has spread throughout the body and he will be just as difficult to remove. We know where some of his warehouses are,” he said as he pointed to a map of New York. “He is hardly ever at them. We have cleaned him out and he has managed to resupply himself the next day.” 

“Maybe the ones we know of are the ones he wants us to know about,” Leo suggested. “It keeps our focus where he wants it to be while he hides something bigger somewhere else.” Leo shook his head as he stared at the map. “He desires revenge for being mutated. What he did to my brother was only the beginning.” He looked up at Karai. “I’m sure he is also out for you.”

“Oh, he is,” Karai replied. “He does not like the direction I have taken the Foot. Though, to be honest, I don’t think we would be allies even if I had chosen to follow in my father’s footsteps.”

“Right now he’s keeping the addicts happy,” Silver Sentry sighed. He circled a wide area of the map. “Hun distributes high end prescription drugs to this area. We believe he uses the ninja who defected to the Purple Dragons to sell them. They operate in the shadows and the lesser skilled dealers on the lower end know better than to give up any information. If they ever do, they are found dead despite around the clock security or even if they are in prison.”

Leo let out a humorless chuckle. “I hate to say this but he is worse than Saki.”

Karai shook her head. “Saki was just better at hiding it. Hun seems to like the attention.”

…..

Chaplin guided Donny and Tello into an exam room that contained an MRI machine. Donatello wanted to get an inside look at Tello while he was tucked into his shell. The Foot clan had some of the best research equipment and he knew he would be able to get a clear image. 

He first took a few scans, front and back of Tello while he was out of his shell so that they would have something to compare the scans of him tucked inside. 

“Don’t take too long. Though I can do it, it’s hard to breathe when I do.” Tello lied down on the bed and tucked into his shell. He was on his carapace so he rocked back and forth a little. To hold him steady, Donny strapped him down. 

Donatello was amazed at the fact that Tello could tuck up into his shell at all. It was an ability that he and his brothers had lost when they were mutated. He had to know how he was able to do it. 

“This won’t take long.” Donatello moved behind a protective barrier with Dr. Chaplin and turned the machine on. “When I tell you, I need you to hold your breath,” Donatello instructed. Tello’s arm emerged and gave him a thumbs up before disappearing back inside his shell. 

The Machine whirled as the magnets inside spun through the circular scanner. Don set his hand on the button to send Tello through. “Take a deep breath and hold it.” He pressed the button and the bed moved to pass through the scanner. 

As soon as the scan was complete, Don told Tello that he could breathe again. Tello popped his head out of his shell and took a few deep breaths. Don then unstrapped Tello from the table and flipped him over to get a scan from the other side. Tello kept his head out, breathing shallowly as he waited. 

When Don was ready to start the scan, Tello pulled his head back in. Once again he was asked to hold his breath as the bed passed through the scanner. As the scan was completed, Donny looked that the results. 

No wonder it was hard for him to breathe. The act of pulling into his shell compressed everything inside. It couldn’t have been comfortable. Tello’s mutation created a human like skeleton, much like the way Donny and his brothers had changed. If they had maintained the skeletal structure of a turtle, they would not have been able to move around on two legs, much less do ninjutsu. 

However, where Don’s shell was small and completely fused to his back, Tello’s had space and was held on mostly by the bridges. The empty area under his larger, rounder carapace provided the space needed for Tello to be able to tuck inside. That, and he was double jointed. It was like a svelte person contorting themselves to fit inside a suitcase. It was quite fascinating. 

Donny continued to run tests on Tello to find the differences between them. And, to find all that was the same. Tello had human DNA fused with his mutated turtle DNA, with the Turtle DNA dominating the human. Donatello comparted those results to the DNA sample he had taken from the pelt of Tello’s father before it was cremated. The human DNA was the dominant one over the rat, showing that Tello’s father had been human first. Donatello could even see the markers that showed Splinter’s Japanese heritage and the breed of rat that fused with him. 

It was all fascinating. 

“I have some interesting news for you,” Donny stated as he read over his read outs. “As you know, I took some samples from your brothers’ shells as well. The four of you are biologically brothers. The only difference is the human DNA. It appears that someone else was the last one to handle your brothers but your father was the one who had handled you.”

“Are you saying that Splinter’s DNA is part of me?” Tello asked, unable to believe what he was hearing. 

Donny handed him the readout. “It appears so.”

“Thank you,” Tello said in a small voice. It must have been a comfort to know that he still carried a little part of his father with him. 

Dr. Chaplin and Donatello also wanted to run a few tests on Miwa. They had sent for her. When she arrived, she looked hesitant as she sat down to have her blood drawn. “I have very steady hands,” Donatello tried to reassure her. 

Sighing, Miwa looked up into his eyes. “There is something I haven’t told you.” Tello moved to her side and placed a comforting hand on her shoulder. 

Donny and Dr. Chaplin shared a look before Donny asked, “What?”

“Shredder had mutated me at one point,” she replied, rubbing her arm. “It was a different kind of mutation. It messed with my mind. I had lost myself to it. Donatello…, I mean Tello was able to create a retro mutagen, but… there is still some lingering… side effects.”

“Like what,” Dr. Chaplin prompted as Donny drew some blood for testing. 

Miwa hesitated for a moment. “I’m more flexible than I was before the mutation and I think that I am still… venomous.”

“Really?” Donny leaned forward with a tongue depressor to look inside of Miwa’s mouth. “Do you think I can get a sample? I would like to have anti-venom for it, just in case.”

“We can try,” Miwa answered, opening her mouth. Donny could see that her canine teeth were a little sharper than normal and looked like they could extend. 

“Fascinating,” Donny mumbled. He looked up at Dr. Chaplin. “Do you have anything I can use to extract a sample?”

“Yes,” Chaplin nodded and turned to retrieve the needed items. 

While Dr. Chaplin was gone, Donny continued with is physical exam of Miwa. “Why were you so afraid to tell us this?” he asked while he tested her eyes with a small light. Her pupils reacted to the light as they should but Donny noticed that they had a slight oval shape to them. 

“I don’t know,” she admitted. “Part of me was afraid that they wouldn’t let me stay if they knew.”

“We wouldn’t make you leave,” Dr. Chaplin said as he returned with a canister for Donny. “Karai has come to value you and the fact that you have a slight mutation isn’t going to change that.”

Donny accepted the canister from Dr. Chaplin and prompted Miwa to open her mouth again. “Bite down on the lid and we’ll see if any venom comes out.”

She did as she was told and as soon as she punctured the lid her top fangs emerged from her canines and started to drip. Donny held the canister against Miwa’s fangs until he was satisfied with the amount of venom he had collected. 

Tello leaned down to quietly ask Miwa, “Can you still spit venom?”

Donny looked up at Miwa to see her shake her head. “That skill is thankfully gone. I know that for sure. When I was being held prisoner, I tried several time to do it. The only reason I wasn’t sure if I was venomous or not is because I didn’t get to see the result after I had bitten Bradford. All I knew is that everyone kept a safe distance after that.”

“I’ll run your DAN and test the sample of venom. I should have your results in a few hours.” Donny said as he walked towards the lab. “Everything else looked fine. You’re in good health.” Donny placed the samples on the table and turned to look at Miwa. “You will have to get a more extensive exam later, including a gynecological one. I understand that Dr. Chaplin has a few female assistants who could do that particular exam id you are not comfortable with either of us doing it.”

“I’ll schedule an appointment,” Miwa agreed. 

“Until then, you are free to go,” Donny said with a slight smile. “I’ll make sure you will get the results of my findings as soon as I get them.”

“Thank you,” Miwa said with a slight bow before she left. 

Tello stayed to help run the tests and together they got the test underway in less than an hour. As they waited for the results they all decided to break for lunch. They found Mikey in the cafeteria, eating ice cream and telling stories to anyone who would listen. 

As they ate, they listened to Mikey boast about his Battle Nexus championship. Donny laughed as Mikey embellished on some details and left others out altogether. Tello, however, listened with rapt attention. Donny nudged him to get his attention. “You will be able to fight in the Battle Nexus next year.”

“I will?” Surprised, Tello looked at him. “Do you really think I could compete?” 

Donny shrugged. “I don’t see why not. You have skills greater than some of the fighters I’ve seen. I’m not saying that you are a shoe-in to win the whole tournament but you are skilled enough to compete.” He chuckled and looked down at his plate. “I was eliminated in the first round last time but that’s not going to stop me from trying again next year. You never know. Some of the other fighters might be having an off day.”

“I guess there’s no harm in trying,” Tello said, not sounding all that enthusiastic. But then he decided to change the subject. “How many different dimensions have you been too?”

Donatello leaned back in his chair as he thought about his answer. There was the Nexus and the apocalyptic world he was sent to by the Ultimate Drako. He figured that world had to have been a part of the multiverse and not his own future. The fact that Raphael had come to him the night before the fight with Shredder was one major clue. The way that Raphael acted it was like they were picking up where they had left off. And as much as he wanted to, Don had never had that kind of relationship with his own brother. It didn’t, however, stop him from enjoying that night. 

Then there was the world the puzzle box sent him to. Finally there were the dimensions they visited within the multiverse. “If you are only asking about different dimensions then I have been to five or six. I’ve also traveled through time and space so it’s hard to keep track. I wasn’t always sure if I was on a different planet in the same dimension or not.”

“That’s a lot more than I’ve been to,” Tello said before taking his last bite of food. He looked at his plate as he chewed and Donny could tell that he was thinking. “I’ve been to Dimension X and I’ve been locked in a dream realm. I have also traveled through time, thanks to a girl named Renet.”

Donny perked up. “You have a Renet too? I wonder if it’s the same Renet or if there are more than one. Was your Renet from the seventy ninth dimension of null-time?” 

Tello shook his head. “I believe she said that she was from the future.” Tello had a distant look in his eyes. “She said we were well known in the future. She didn’t tell us that we reached that fandom after our deaths.”

“Different girl then,” Donny stated and then stood up. He didn’t want to let Tello go down a road of sorrow. “Our results should be finished by now.”

They cleaned up their mess and then headed back to the lab. By the time they got back, the computer analysis of the venom and Miwa’s blood was completed. “Miwa’s venom is very similar to a rattle snake,” Don stated. “According to this, the anti-venom we have should work.”

“That’s good to know,” Tello said. 

Donny moved on to the readout of her blood. “She is mostly human but there is some residual snake DNA. I would need to do a full exam to determine the full extent of how the DNA has affected her. As far as I can tell, it will only benefit her.”

“I’ll let her know,” Tello said, accepting the read out from Don. “I think I will tell her that some of our father’s DNA is in me as well.” Donny nodded in agreement, not really knowing what else to say. He watched as Tello left to go find his sister. He knew Tello was going through a lot but at least the test results were able to give him a little comfort.


	27. Love

TMNT 100 Theme  
Chapter 27   
Love

 

Leonardo led the way through the sewers to April and Casey’s apartment. He stayed alert for any sign of trouble. Though the path that led from the lair to the basement of the apartment had been secured by Donny, they couldn’t be too careful. Their enemies were still out there, if the path was ever discovered they could walk in to a trap. 

Being the most skilled of them all, Splinter carried Snow. Having her in his arms would not hinder his ability to fight. At least that was Leo’s belief. He hoped that it would not be tested any time soon. 

They reached the hidden door that led into the basement. Leo stepped through first and listened for the sound of anyone being around. Once he deemed that it was clear, Leo stepped inside and the others followed. 

It wasn’t too late but April said that she was going to close the store early. One of the perks of owning your own business was that you could close any time you wanted. That didn’t mean that there wasn’t someone in the store at the moment. April wasn’t the type to simply kick someone out if they were still in the store and looking. She would have waited a little while longer, dimming the lights to let them know that they needed to make their selection or leave. Passive aggressive was always her first choice of action when it came to her customers. That was unless they did something really bad. Then she could be very aggressive. 

Leonardo moved up the steps that led into the store, making sure to avoid the one step that squeaked. Once again he waited and listened. As far as he could tell, the store was closed. He could hear April humming to herself as she cleaned. 

Deciding that it was safe, Leo stepped up into the store. “Hey, April.”

After years of having the guys ninja their way around her April was no longer surprised when they appeared seemingly out of nowhere. It helped that she had been expecting them. She had invited the whole gang over for dinner. 

“Hi, Leo,” April said with a smile. “Are you all here?”

“Yes,” Leo nodded, stepping out of the way so the others could come up.

“We even brought Snow,” Raph said as he stepped into the store. “It better be some damn good food to bring her out of the safety of the lair.”

April walked over to Splinter and relieved him of Snow. “I promise that it will be worth it.”

They followed her to the apartment above the store. The scent of the promised meal greeted them as soon as she opened the door. It smelled delightful. After handing Snow over to Raph, April got to work putting the finishing touches on dinner. 

She laid out several dishes on the long table that was usually only brought out for special occasions. She was prepared for the Turtles’ large appetite. There were three roasted chickens, stewed pork, potato wedges with dill, fried rice, boiled eggs, several greens, bread, two pies, and a cake. It was larger than the meal they had made for Thanksgiving. 

As they ate, Leo couldn’t help but wonder what the special occasion was. It wasn’t the anniversary of anything or any kind of holiday that he knew of. Whatever the reason, Leo was grateful for the meal. 

April sat next to Tello and took the opportunity to get to know him. Leo figured that maybe that was the reason for the spread. April wanted to make Tello feel welcome with a grand introduction into the family. 

By the time they were done eating, there was nothing left but the bones of the chicken. It had been a satisfying meal. Leo was so full and he hoped that they had an easy trip back to the lair. One kick to the stomach and he would explode. 

Donny started to help gather plates but April stopped him. “There’s one more thing.”

“I don’t think I could eat anything else,” Mikey moaned, patting his stomach. 

“It’s small,” April reassured him and headed into the kitchen. She returned with a bowl full of fortune cookies. She handed one to Splinter and then held the bowl out for the rest of them. “Grab one but don’t open it until I tell you.” Once everyone had a cookie April smiled. “Okay. Open them.”

Leo cracked the cookie and pulled out the slip of paper. He had to turn it in his hand before he could read it and then it took him a moment to process what it said. “You’re going to be a wonderful uncle,” Leo read out loud. And then it hit him. He looked up at April. “You’re pregnant!”

April nodded. “Twins.” She rubbed her belly and a smile consumed her face. “The doctor thinks that there are two placentas so that means that they are going to be fraternal. I’m ten weeks along.”

“This is great,” Donny said and stood up to give April a hug. 

Raph slapped Casey on the back. “Congratulations, buddy.”

“I’m scared out of my mind, Raph,” Casey confessed. 

“You’ll be a great dad,” Leo told him, earning a smile from Casey. 

While the others continued to congratulate the couple, Leo looked over at Tello and saw him staring at the piece of paper in his hands. Leo leaned over and placed his hand on Tello’s shoulder. “You okay?”

“Just thinking,” Tello mumbled. 

“What about?” Leo prompted. 

Tello sighed. “How life goes on.” He looked over at Leo. “I’m happy for them and I look forward to seeing their babies.” His voice choked off and tears filled his eyes. “It gives me hope.”

Leo nodded. “Even in these hard times, there is room for hope and happiness.”

……

They made it back to the lair without incident. Which was good since Donatello was lost in thought the whole way. He walked next to Splinter, looking at his plump daughter and couldn’t help but desire another one. Not right away, of course. But, since he had the ability, why not take advantage of it? It would give Leo a few students to train, and Snow a sibling so she wouldn’t grow up alone. It was definitely something he wanted. 

As soon as they entered the lair, Raphael relieved Splinter of Snow. “I’ll take her for the night so you and Leatherhead can have some alone time. I haven’t had her in a while.”

“Thank you, Raph,” Donny smiled. He was glad Raph decided to take Snow for the night. It saved him having to ask. Donatello was in the mood for some alone time with Leatherhead. The last time they had been alone was right before his body started shutting down. “Don’t let her sleep with you,” he warned, earning a look from Raph.

Taking Leatherhead by the hand, Donny led him upstairs to their room. Leatherhead must have sensed Donatello’s desire or had them himself, because he was the one who locked the door behind them. Making their way to their bed, they both removed their gear and then moved onto the pillowy nest. 

Leatherhead moved over Donny and showed his affection by gently nipping at Donny’s neck. Donny’s hands moved along Leatherhead’s massive chest. “I want to have another baby.”

Leatherhead stopped and turned his head to look down at Donny. “Now?”

With a slight chuckle, Donny shook his head. “Not now, but soon.”

Looking to the side, Leatherhead pondered over what Donny had said. After a while, he nodded his head. “I would like to have another as well. It would be nice to get to plan and go to doctor appointments for sonograms; the things that people usually go through when they are expecting.” Once again he looked at Donny. There was something in the way he was looking at him that told Donny that he wasn’t going to like what Leatherhead said next. 

“I want you to be finished with your portal project before we even start to try,” Leatherhead said. 

He was right, Donny didn’t like what Leatherhead had said. “What do you mean ‘finished’?”

“This is the longest you have ever been sucked up into a project since I have known you,” Leatherhead stated. “It has been consuming all of your time.”

“I’m studying the different dimensions,” Donny said in his defense. 

“You know as well as I do that it would not be possible to study them all,” Leatherhead said flatly. “There are infinite worlds out there and more are created every day. I understood why you felt you had to build it. You have now proven yourself smart enough to do so. I was hoping that once you got it built that it would be out of your system but you have become obsessed. I do not want to lose you to it. I love you too much.”

“Let me have it for just a little while longer,” Donny pleaded. “I’m not as bad as I was.”

Leatherhead nodded. “This is true. But I would still like for you to be finished with it before we have another child. And by ‘finished’ I mean that I want it taken apart.”

Donny felt his heart sink. “You don’t ask for much,” he said with a soft, sad chuckle. He understood why Leatherhead had put that condition in place. But, that didn’t mean that it made it any easier on him. 

Leatherhead nuzzled Donny. “I don’t want to hurt you, my love. I want you there for our children. We won’t have Raphael to help us with the next one.” He pulled his head back to look down at Donny and smiled. “That is unless you want to ask him to participate in the creation of the next one.”

Donatello genuinely laughed and shook his head. “I think that was a onetime thing on his part. Besides, I don’t want to be shared between the two of you. I am perfectly happy with just you. I love you, Kroki.”

“I love you too, Donatello.”

……

Raph lay in his hammock with Snow dozing on his belly. He loved having his daughter with him. Her gentle coos always brought a smile to his face. He didn’t care that she didn’t look anything like him. He knew that she was his and that was all that mattered. 

He absentmindedly stroked her back as he gazed up at the ceiling. His mind was in a slight fog from the pain pills. They had been stronger than he had anticipated. Apparently, he had mixed different dosages when he had stolen the pills from the Purple Dragons. Next time he was going to have to make sure to read the labels a little closer to keep it from happening again. For now he was going to have to look closely at the pills. Lucky for him they were stamped with their potency. So no more simply dumping them into his hand and swallowing them. 

He was glad that he had the excuse of a full stomach to explain his sleepiness. Who didn’t have the overwhelming need to nap after a large meal? And besides that it was night time. So wanting to sleep was normal. 

There was nothing to fear. Yes he had a foggy head but it wasn’t bad enough that he was going to let anything bad happen to Snow. They were nestled safely in the hammock and there was no way she was going to roll out of it and he wasn’t going to smother her. 

She moved and whimpered slightly; a sign that she was waking up. His plastron was not a soft place to sleep and she was probably a little uncomfortable. Raph was getting ready to get up when Tello entered the room. 

“Donny won’t be happy,” Tello warned as he took in the sight. 

“We were just snuggling before bed.” Raph managed a lopsided smile. “Will you move her to her bed for me? I don’t want to try to get up right now.”

“Sure.” Tello closed the door and lifted Snow off of Raph. She was on the verge of waking and fussed a little as Tello placed her down into the pack-and-play. As soon as she was down, Tello took a moment to pat Snow’s back to settle her back down. He then turned to look at Raph. “You feeling okay?”

Raph patted his stomach. He had learned a long time ago that if he was going to tell a lie keep as much truth in it as possible. “I ate too much. I don’t think I could get back up if I wanted too. That and I had a few beers with Casey to celebrate so my head is a bit fuzzy.” It wasn’t a full on lie. A voice in the back of his head wanted to tell Tello about the pain pills but Raph shut that voice up right away. He had also learned how to squash that little need to confess that people tended to have. 

Tello smiled. “It is great. Even in all of this chaos, there is a chance at new life.” There was a distant look in Tello’s eyes that told Raph that he was deep in thought. “I look forward to meeting them.”

“We’re gonna spoil them,” Raph said with a light chuckle. “And train them to be ninjas. No one is going to mess with those kids.”

Tello removed his gear and joined Raph in the hammock. “They are also going to be smart. They will have two geniuses teaching them after all.”

Raph snorted out a laugh. “If they are anything like their father, it won’t matter how hard you two try to teach them something. They’re gonna think they are hidden if they put a lampshade on their heads.”

“I guess that’s kind of universal across the multiverse,” Tello chuckled. “Casey Jones is a bit of a meat head.”

“But he’s a good guy,” Raph stated sincerely. 

A tear ran down Tello’s cheek. “That’s why April loves him and will always choose him.”

Raph pulled Tello into a sideways hug and planted a chaste kiss on his forehead. Raph knew the pain Tello felt. He felt it when Joi had rejected him. “I guess it’s hard for a human to fall in love with a giant turtle. We’ll make it through,” Raph soothed.


	28. Memory

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Warning: Graphic descriptions of death.

TMNT 100 Theme  
Chapter 28  
Memory

 

With a spring in his step, Donny left his lab and headed down to the kitchen. There was already a pot of coffee ready so he helped himself to a cup. Grabbing one of the cinnamon rolls from the plate on the counter, Donny left to get his morning started. 

There were some projects that were too big to fit in his lab so they were conducted down in the tunnel, away from the platform. The Battle Shell and the Shell Cycle were also kept down in the tunnel. They had been moved there before they had sealed the tunnel off. Now Donny was working on a way to have the tunnel wall open so that they could one day drive them again. 

He had all that he needed to create the motor strong enough for the ‘garage’ door. Now all he needed to do was put the thing together. The garage door had been built when they had originally sealed the tunnel off but at the moment they had no way of opening it. 

They would all love to have the added freedom that being able to drive around brings. 

When he arrived in the tunnel, Donny saw Tello looking over his schematics with a cup of coffee in his hand. That would explain why there was coffee already made that morning. No one else in the lair drank it unless they were extremely tired. “This project is going to go a whole lot quicker with you here to help,” Donny said as he walked up to Tello. 

Tello looked up and smiled. “This should be fairly easy to do.”

“It should be,” Donny agreed. “The only reason it isn’t done yet is because I didn’t have the parts I needed until now. Trips to the junk yard have become a rare occurrence. That and I needed to make sure all of the security for the lair was in working order.” He walked up to stand next to Tello. “I take it I have you to thank for the breakfast,” Donny said holding up the pastry. 

Tello nodded. “Leo told me that it was time for me to be added to the rotation.” He grimaced a little. “I’m not much of a cook. I burn water.”

“You’ll learn,” Donny said before taking a bite. “If you screw it up enough, someone will teach you.” He took a drink of coffee to wash the roll down. “Let’s get to work.”

Together they modified and forced pieces that were never meant to work together in to one cohesive unit. Tello babbled almost constantly as they worked. Donny let him, figuring it was a way for him to cope with all that had happened. He half listened to stories about Tello’s brothers and occasionally made comments in relation to the antics of his own brothers. There were quite a few similarities between them. It left Donny wishing he could do the same with other Donatellos from the multiverse. 

Tello suddenly stopped talking and Donny felt a swell of worry. He had only stopped listening for a moment. What had he missed? He looked over at Tello to see him staring off at nothing. “Tello?” Donny said softly. 

Blinking, Tello looked up at him. “I’m sorry.” He ran his hand over his head and rubbed the back of his neck. “I had realized that I was talking about the morning before everyone had died. It happened only a few hours later, that night.”

“Do… you want to talk about it?” Donny offered. “I know you want to hold it in and push it down but… it does help to let it out.” He then quickly added, “You don’t have to if you are not ready.”

“I….” Tello shook his head. “I don’t know.” Standing up, Tello raced back towards the platform. 

Donny followed and watched as Tello lifted himself onto the platform. Tello managed to make it to the staircase before his legs gave out. Collapsing to the floor, Tello curled up and rested his head on the steps. Tears flowed freely down his cheeks as he sobbed. 

Donny sat next to him and gently caressed Tello’s arm. “You don’t have to talk about it if you’re not ready. I know how hard it can be. It took me two years before I was able to tell someone about what happened to me. But it was easier for me to deny that it ever happened. That it was just a bad dream.”

Raph emerged from his bedroom and joined them at the foot of the stairs. “What happened?”

“We were working on the motor for the garage,” Donny explained. “He was telling me stories about his family. Then he got to the day where it all went terribly wrong.”

Raph knelt down and pulled Tello into a warm hug. “I’ll take you to our room so you can get some rest.”

“April was run through,” Tello said, without looking up. “We were all out, looking for Karai… Miwa. Her mutation left her confused. We had just saved the city from the Kraang and Leo insisted that finding her be our next priority. He… kind of had a crush. 

“We were all together; me, my brothers, April, Casey, Splinter, Slash, Leatherhead, Dr. Rockwell, and Pete. We were looking for her at an abandoned carnival. We wanted to make sure that there was no way for her to escape.” Tello remained limp in Raph’s arms as he spoke. His eyes were distant, lost in memory. They were soon joined by the others who all sat down to listen. No one dared to say anything as Tello told his story. As much as it hurt to hear, they all knew that it needed to be done. 

“Shredder and his men attacked. We thought that they were out looking for Miwa but they already had her. They were out looking for us… for me. He didn’t spare a single Foot Soldier or Foot Bot. Their headquarters were probably unmanned he had so many with him. 

“Stockman had failed to find a retro mutagen for Miwa. So Shredder… killed him and decided to enlist my help. To show his sincerity he ordered his men to kill everyone but Splinter, me, and my brothers. 

“Hun killed April. He ran her through the heart. Through the back. Casey screamed and ran towards her. He was cradling her lifeless body when Rocksteady dropped a car on them. Slash moved the car off. Casey was crushed but still alive. I have no idea how long he suffered before he succumbed to his injuries. It couldn’t have been long….

“Next was Pete. Tiger claw shot him.

Tello paused for a moment. Raph rubbed his shoulders and planed a chaste kiss on his head but said nothing. It was up to Tello to continue or not. They didn’t know who everyone in the story was but that didn’t really matter. What mattered was that Tello was letting it all out. 

“Fishface managed to kick Slash, knocking him into Dr. Rockwell…. The spikes on Slash’s shell… they crushed Dr. Rockwell. When Slash got up, Dr. Rockwell was stuck on him. Slash tried to get his dead friend off. That was all the distraction Shredder needed. He came out of nowhere and cut Slash’s head off. Raph lost his focus after that and he was easily captured. 

“Seeing that our friends were being killed, Mikey fought to protect Leatherhead. They were so close. Leatherhead was our friend because Mikey never gave up on him. He saw the good in him and… fought to bring it to the surface. I had never seen Mikey fight so fiercely. 

“Leo went to try to free Raph but he was overwhelmed. With two captured and five dead, we surrendered, hoping to save Leatherhead’s life…. 

“… It didn’t. Rahzar ran him through the chest with his katana. 

“In a matter of minutes, we were captured and all of our friends were dead. 

“Master Splinter and my brothers were locked up in cages that dangled from the ceiling and I was chained to a work station. To… motivate me to work, Shredder dunked Mikey’s cage into a large tank of water and kept him under. Then he would bring it back up and Mikey would gasp for air. 

“Shredder said that he knew turtles had the ability to hold their breath for a long time and that he wanted to test Mikey’s limit. Each time he dunked Mikey cage into the water, he kept it under for a few seconds longer. I could hear the panic in Mikey’s voice. The motivation worked. I made the retro mutagen for Miwa. 

“I handed it over to him and begged him to pull Mikey back up. With a nod of his head, Mikey’s cage was pulled out of the water. I was put in a cage that was raised up next to my brothers’. 

“Shredder used the retro mutagen on Miwa and it worked. She was human again but she still hated him. She cursed his name and spat in his face. Shredder ordered his men to lock her up. And then… he looked at Rahzar and nodded…. Mikey’s cage was plunged into the water for the last time. 

“We begged for Shredder to bring it back up but he stood there, cold as ice, and watched Mikey drown. It took so long to happen. I will never forget the panic in my little brother’s eyes. 

“And then Raph’s cage was lowered.” He reached up and held Raph closer, turning slightly in an attempt to seek comfort. “He tried to fight. 

“They got him up on a table and strapped him down…. Fishface stepped forward. He pushed a needle into Raph’s ear slits to deafen him. Then he took out his butterfly knife and… cut Raph’s eyes out. Raph screamed in pain, begging him to stop. 

“When Fishface was done, he undid the straps and stepped back. Raph was in shock and he was scared. He frantically called for our father to help him. 

“Splinter begged Shredder to stop. He said that he would freely give his life if Shredder released us. But, Shredder only laughed, saying that Splinter’s life was already his to do with as he pleased. He was going to make him watch his sons die before killing him. 

“Fishface toyed with Raph. He darted around him, cutting him. Panic took over and Raph ran. They had opened the pit in the floor and Raph fell into it. There were spikes at the bottom. He was killed instantly. 

“I expected my cage to go down next but it was Leo’s turn. He was in such a state of shock and despair that he didn’t even put up a fight. They laid him down to a table and sedated him. Rocksteady got to be the one to torture Leo. Tigerclaw didn’t look too happy about it. I guess the ones who got to do the torturing had to win the right. 

“While Leo was sedated, Rocksteady removed his plastron. It seemed that it was something he had done before. He eviscerated Leo. They put up a curtain so Leo wouldn’t be able to see what had happened to him and then they let him come out of his sedation. It’s amazing what someone can live through and for how long, so long as the proper procedures are in place. 

“They waited for him to be coherent before removing the curtain. It still took him a moment to realize what he was seeing. When he realized it he let out the most horrific scream. He then slipped into a state of shock. I watched his heart stop. 

“I was sure I was going to be next. I looked over at Splinter to say my goodbyes and I could see that he was broken. He told me that he was sorry. I made sure he knew how much I loved him, that I was happy for the time we had together, and that none of this was his fault. 

“We were both surprised when his cage started to lower. He looked up at me and I could see the frantic determination in his eyes. As soon at the cage was opened he attacked. Even though his hands were bound he fought. He even managed to kick Bebop into the pit before the others overwhelmed him. 

“They bound him up and hanged him upright between two pillars. Shredder then proceeded to skin Splinter alive. ‘It will adorn my walls with your sons’ shells,’ he said while he carefully removed my father’s flesh. ‘And your hide will become a rug for my thrown room so that I can have the joy of walking over you every day.’

“By the time Shredder was done, Splinter was dead. I then had to watch as they cut my brothers’ lifeless bodies from their shells. 

“I was laying there, numb as they lowered the cage. I didn’t care what they did to me; I was ready for it to be over. They opened the cage, dragged me out and threw me on the floor. Shredder stood over me, dropped my weapon on the floor next to me, and said, ‘You will be allowed to live. Your suffering will last as long as you live. You can wallow in misery in your home or come here and attempt to avenge your family. No one here will ever kill you. That is something you will have to do yourself.’ 

“He then knelt down close to me and whispered, ‘But there are some who believe that if you were to take your own life then you will not go to the same place as your loved ones in the afterlife. Would you like to test that theory?’

“When I didn’t move, I was picked up, carried out and dropped in the back ally. 

“I don’t remember making my way back to the lair. After a few days I started building the robots, with the plan of attacking Shredder. But, I was too scared so I never finished and I gave up. I live in the delusion that the robots were my brothers for a while but deep down I knew that it wasn’t real…. I just wanted to die. That’s when you found me.”

Raph held Tello and continued to caress his carapace in an attempt to soothe him. There were no words that could be said.


	29. Hero

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> I have finally gotten to the rule 63 Turtles.

TMNT 100 Theme  
Chapter 29  
Hero

 

It was a typical day in the lair. The leader was with their sensei, watching the news to stay informed of the world above. The genius was in the lab, working on various projects to make their life better. The hothead was in the dojo driving the frustration of the day into a punching bag. And the youngest was in her room reading the latest comic that she was able to find. 

She loved Superwoman. 

Michelle’s only escape was through the fantastical worlds of her comics. The only time she got to go out was at night and strictly to the junkyard, with her mother and sisters to find things for the lair. Boring! She was never alone. It was impossible to be alone. Her little alcove with a little curtain for privacy was her only sanctuary. Oh but how she wished she could go to the surface, during the day. She wished to be free but she knew that was not possible. 

If she went out, her freedom would be short lived. Life wasn’t like a comic book. Humans would see her as a monster, not a hero. Despite how well she fought, she would eventually be captured and experimented on. Life wasn’t easy for a mutated turtle. 

She could hear he genius sister, Donna, tinkering away in her lab. Winter was coming and she wanted to make sure that the lair was going to be warm enough. Rachael had finally finished taking out what she wanted to do to their sister, Leah, on the punching bag. Those two managed to get on each other’s nerves quite often. The only other sound was the low murmur of the television. 

As she read, Michelle absentmindedly scratched behind Klink’s ears. She had found the calico cat in a nearby storm drain. It had taken some begging but their mother, Sliver, eventually agreed to let her keep the cat. They didn’t have to worry about feeding her. She was an expert huntress and kept the lair free of rats. Well… all rats but their mother, of course. 

Suddenly, Klink’s ears perked up and she started to look uneasy. “What’s the matter, girl?” Michelle asked her beloved pet. Just then the whole lair shook. An earthquake? In New York? “Did Donna fall?” Michelle giggled, pulling the curtain aside to look out of her alcove. 

“That’s not funny,” Leah chided her without taking her eyes from the television. There was nothing but static on the screen and she looked to be in shock. “And this is no laughing matter.”

“What the hell’s going on?” Rachael asked as she walked up to watch the television. “What happened to the signal?” She looked over her shoulder and yelled. “Donna, come fix this!”

“The Earth is being invaded,” their mother answered as she stood. Though she tried to keep her composure, Michelle could hear the sorrow in her voice. 

“What’s gonna happen?” Michelle asked right before the power went out. “Mommy?” She hated the dark. Bad things always happened in the dark. At least that’s how it was in those late night movies. 

“Over here,” Sliver replied as the lights came back on. 

“That backup generator won’t last long,” Donna stated as she joined her family. Wiping her hands, she glanced up at Michelle for a moment before looking down to the floor. “I heard what you said.”

“I was only joking,” Michelle said giving her sister a soft shove. “You tease the ones you love the most. Right?”

“It wasn’t funny,” Donna replied. 

The lair shook once again, sending debris falling to the floor. “Something tells me that we won’t be needing the backup generator to last very long,” Rachael said. She exchanged looks with Leah as the lair shook more violently. “We won’t be around long enough for it to run out.”

“Klink!” Michelle yelled for her pet and the cat bound across the lair to her. 

There were loud bangs overhead and the lair shook nonstop. Bits of their home were falling all around them and Michelle swore that the temperature was rising. Smoke filled the lair and it was getting harder to breathe. 

“Should we try to get to the surface?” Rachael asked, looking to their mother. 

Sliver shook her head. “It won’t make any difference. The aliens made it perfectly clear that they weren’t planning on leaving any survivors.”

“Maybe we could fight,” Rachael argued. 

“It is too late,” Sliver whispered to her daughter. “There is nothing that can be done.”

A disembodied hand appeared out of nowhere followed by a head, causing Michelle to scream. “What is that?”

“This way!” the head shouted.

Without hesitation, Donna ran toward the floating arm and head. The others quickly followed and one by one they were pulled through what could only have been a portal. Michelle held Klink close to her chest as she turned to look back through the portal into her home. “All my things.”

“Really, Michelle?” Rachael groaned. 

“What’s going on?” Donna asked their rescuer, her soft voice barely carrying over the sound of the ceiling falling on the other side of the portal. “Can you show us what is happening on the surface?”

The other turtle nodded. A male turtle, with a purple mask like Donna. “I can try,” he said. “Maybe there is still time to save your friends.”

“We don’t have any friends,” Rachael stated, crossing her arms over her chest. “We’ve never met any humans and we are the only ones of our kind.”

“Really?” the male turtle asked. “How old are you?”

“Seventeen,” Leah answered. “But what does that have to do with anything?”

“My brothers and I were fifteen when we started traveling to the surface where we met April and eventually Casey.” The male turtle turned back to his portal device. “It’s strange that you haven’t.”

“It wasn’t safe,” Sliver stated as a matter of fact.

“Has the invasion not reached here yet?” Rachael asked as she looked around. “Maybe there is still time to stop it. You seem to have a lot of technology here.”

“You are in another dimension,” the male replied, shaking his head. “I was observing the multiverse when I came upon your world. I saw you were in danger and thought I’d help.” The image through the portal change to the surface and Michelle gasped. The city was in ruins and alien ships filled the skies. The male turtle looked at them over his shoulder. “I had no idea that your whole world was being destroyed, I just thought your lair was under attack. My thoughts were to get you here, away from the danger and then put you back somewhere safe later.” He looked at his device once again. “But, it looks like there is nowhere that is safe on your planet. According to my readings, the atmosphere is toxic. You wouldn’t be able to survive there now.”

Donna sank to the ground. “They came in and destroyed the whole planet in a matter of minutes. Why?”

The male turtle shrugged. “Who knows.”

“Thank you, for saving us, young man,” Sliver said, keeping her eyes on the image of their world through the portal. “Rest in peace, Sakura,” she said softly before turning to the male turtle. “You can turn it off now. There is nothing we can do to save anyone.”

With a slight nod the male turtle turned the machine off. Clearing his throat he said, “My name is Donatello.”

“I was once known as Hamato Yuri,” Sliver replied with a slight bow of her head. “But, I am now known as Sliver.” She then indicated Michelle and her sisters. “These are my daughters Leah, Donna, Rachael, and Michelle. They were mutated as babies from turtles I had purchased.”

“You were human before your mutation,” Donatello stated. “There are a few in the multiverse who were where others, like my father, were a pet rat. You are all from one of the rare female universes.”

“I have always theorized that there were multiple universes out there,” Donna said as she looked the portal devise over. “It is amazing that you were able to build a machine to travel between them. How many have you been to?”

Donatello shook his head. “I have observed more than I have been to. Going through the portal is dangerous. It’s more or less only a one way door. Someone can only come through if there is another to pull them in, which is why the toxins from your world never came through. But, according to my observations, I believe that there are more universes out there than I can count.”

“That’s all fascinating and all,” Rachael said. “But what are we going to do now?”

Donatello shrugged. “Like I said, I can’t send you back. Well… I could but I’m not going to send you to your deaths. So the only answer I can think of is that you stay here.”

“Is it just you or do you have brothers?” Michelle wanted to know. 

Donatello laughed. “I have brothers.”

“Are they cute?” Michelle asked.

“Michelle,” Sliver chided her. 

“What?” Michelle grinned at her mother. “I’m trying to look on the bright side if this situation. I have lost everything. I want to know there is something to gain.”

Just then the door opened and a large mutant stepped inside. He was an alligator… or was he a crocodile? Michelle didn’t remember how to tell the difference. Either way, he was huge. 

“Donatello?” the crocigator looked at them. “What is going on?”

“I… rescued them,” Donatello answered with a sheepish grin as he walked up to the other mutant. “I didn’t know it at the time but their world was being destroyed. I pulled them through just in time.” He turned back to them. “This is my mate, Leatherhead.”

“Your mate?” Michelle said as she looked Leatherhead over. “Do your brothers have large alligator mates too?”

Donatello laughed. “Crocodile,” he corrected. “And, no, my brothers are all single.”

“Okay good,” Michelle sighed in relief. 

Leah slapped Michelle on her shoulder. “You need to work out your priorities.”

“Me?” Michelle looked up at her sister. “Aren’t you even a little bit eager over the prospect of a boyfriend? You can’t be that frigid.”

“Think about it, dipstick,” Rachael snapped. “There are four of us. If we are parallels of each other it’s safe to assume that there are four of them and one of them is already taken. One of us is going to be left out.”

“Oh,” Michelle nodded her head. “And, you think it’s going to be you.” Michelle squealed as Rachael balled up her fist and drew it back but Leah stopped her before she could strike. 

“That’s enough, you two.”

Donatello chuckled, causing them to all look up at him. “It’s amazing how much you all are like us.” A wide smile spread across his beak. “I’m sure there will be some broken hearts and all but it should all work out, eventually. We actually have a fifth turtle. My brothers rescued him and brought him here. He had lost his family and was all alone so he decided to stay here and try to make a new life.”

“So we all have a chance,” Michelle said, elbowing Rachael in the ribs. “Nothing to worry about.”

Sliver sighed, “There is plenty to worry about, my daughter. But we will discuss that another time. We have all been through a lot and need time to process.”

“Mother’s right,” Leah stated. “We need to come to terms with what had just happened and then find a place of our own to live. Starting over is not going to be easy.”

“That probably wouldn’t be wise at this time,” Leatherhead stated. “It is not safe and there is a good possibility that you would be found before any security could be put in place.”

Donatello nodded in agreement. “We have powerful enemies who are hell bent on finding us. They wouldn’t hesitate in capturing you either. It would be best if you were to stay here. We are safe and we are hidden.”

“We don’t want to be a burden,” Sliver said. 

“Trust me,” Donatello smiled. “You will not be seen as a burden.” Before Sliver could state her concerns over what Donatello was implying he held up his hand and said. “Do not worry. My brothers will behave themselves. They will be… eager and they might try to show off a bit, but they will behave. Your daughters will be safe and respected, I can assure you.”

Looking at Michelle, Sliver shook her head as she sighed. “I’m going to be a grandmother before a year has passed.”


	30. Introduction

Donatello gave the girls a moment in his lab to compose themselves. As they waited, Leatherhead went out to gather the family into the entertainment room for the introduction. Donatello smiled to himself. His brothers were going to be happy. Of course they would feel bad for why the girls were here but they would be happy all the same. 

He considered their guests for a moment. Sliver was taller than Splinter, slender and very much built like a woman. The fur on the parts of her body that was not covered by the kimono was a chestnut brown with accents of white. Her long black hair was kept in a neat, tight bun at the top of her head. 

She carried herself with an air of dignity and, as far as he could tell, was in her prime. She couldn’t have been older than forty, maybe even younger. It must have been hard for her to be forced to give up her humanity and live in the sewers. 

Her four turtle daughters were all attractive in different ways. Their faces and body frames were feminine enough to tell that they were girls but their plastrons were flat without even a semblance of breasts and their tails were long and slender.

Leah had a medium build. She was the second tallest out of her sisters, with tone, sleek muscles. Her features looked Asian and her almond shaped eyes were a storm blue that bordered on grey. Her jaw line was slim and her cheekbones were high. She seemed very calm and collected. By anyone’s standards, she was beautiful. 

Rachael looked strong and was built like an Amazon, tall and broad. Her plastron was scarred and her facial features were sharp, her nose being the most beak-like out of her sisters. Her eyes were also almond shaped but were a vibrant green. She was stunning to look at and if he weren’t gay she would have been his first choice, but something told him that he wouldn’t be able to handle her. 

Donna was the shortest and soft spoken. She also had the fullest figure with enough padding that her collarbone wasn’t as visible as her sisters’. She was fit, there was no doubt about it but she probably also spent her free time sitting and reading while indulging in something sweet. She had a round face with wide chocolate colored eyes that took in her surroundings with a sense of wonder. When she smiled at her sisters her prominent front teeth showed. They weren’t so large that they made her unattractive. In fact, it was quite endearing. 

Michelle was slight of frame and slightly taller than Donna. Despite what they had just been through, there was a sparkle in her bright blue eyes and a smile on her lips. Watching the way she moved, Donatello could tell that she had a level of flexibility that surpassed her sisters and energy to spare. She was cute, bubbly, and most likely trouble, just like Mikey. How were they ever going to survive the two of them?

As good as having them here was Donatello was worried that it meant trouble. What if two or more of his brothers fell for the same girl? Or, if two or more of the girls fall for the same brother? Someone was going to end up with a broken heart and be forced to settle. He hoped beyond hope that it doesn’t happen. 

Donatello turned to look at his clock. “I think Leatherhead has had enough time to gather everyone.” Turning back to look at the girls he asked, “Are you ready?”

Leah nodded, “Yes.”

“Follow me,” Donatello said as he turned to lead them from the lab. He couldn’t help but feel a little nervous. He had no idea how his brothers were going to react. He had no interest in females but their scent was having an effect on him. What kind of affect will they have on the others? 

…..

Everyone but Donny was in the entertainment room, waiting. Leatherhead had gathered them up so Donny could make an announcement. Leonardo and Tello passed the time playing a game of chess while Raph and Splinter sat on the sofa watching television. Raph hated to admit it but he was starting to enjoy the shows his father watched. He was a sucker for romance. 

Mikey, however, was following Leatherhead around the room. “Come on,” Mikey begged Leatherhead for the tenth time. “Why are we here? What is it Donny has to show us? Tell me~.”

“I will leave it for Donatello,” Leatherhead said once again. He was cradling Snow in his arms as he smiled down at his friend, not at all annoyed. “But I promise you, you will like it.”

“That makes me want to know even more,” Mikey complained. 

“Shut up and sit your ass down.” From his spot on the sofa, Raph blindly reached out to swat at Mikey and ended up striking just below is butt. 

“Fresh,” Mikey teased, rubbing his leg. He turned and moved around the arm of the sofa, making his way up to straddle Raph’s lap. “Are you hitting on me, Raphie?”

“I was hitting you, numb nuts,” Raph replied, unblinking as Mikey moved in closer. It was all a game to see who would back down first. “I ain’t that desperate yet. And if I were, it wouldn’t be with you.”

“But I’m the cute one,” Mikey said with a huge grin. 

“You’re the annoying one,” Raph corrected. 

Keeping his eyes locked with Raph, Mikey bit his bottom lip. “I’m actually getting a little horny.”

“Me too,” Raph admitted, placing his hand on Mikey’s chest. “But it’s not you.” He pushed Mikey to the floor and turned to look at the door just as it opened. Donatello stepped inside, followed by four mutant turtles and their rat master. 

Another set of counterparts. Only, this set was female. Their scents struck Raph hard and by the look of it, his brothers were equally affected. Mikey was up off the floor and around the sofa in a heartbeat. Raph could see that his brother’s tail was down and stiff. Then again, Raph’s was no different.

“Hello, ladies,” Mikey said as he rushed up to stand in front of his counterpart. He gently grabbed one of her hands and held it with both of his. “I’m Michelangelo, the Battle Nexus Champion. Welcome to our home.” He then reached over to pet the cat that was nestled in her arms. “She’s cute. I have a cat too. I’m sure we have a lot in common. We should spend some time together. Alone.”

Donny laughed. “I told you.”

The female sensei tensed, and looked as if she expected Mikey to whisk her daughter away. She was about to protest but Master Splinter beat her to it. “Michelangelo, step back.” He must have sensed the change in Mikey. It was hard to miss. He was up, moving around the sofa and speaking in a strict tone. “Move to the other side of the sofa and stay there until I tell you that you can move.” He then looked at the others. “All of you. Now.”

“Yes, father,” Leonardo said and did as they were told. 

“But,” Mikey tried to protest but one look from Splinter silenced him. Reluctantly he let go of his counterpart’s hand and backed away. As soon as he was on the other side of the sofa with the others, Mikey looked at her again and winked. “We’ll talk later.” 

Raph smacked Mikey’s arm. “That’s enough out of you. You’re gonna scare them off.”

Don turned towards their guests. “For give my brother. He is a bit eccentric and we’ve never met females of our kind before, it’s a bit overwhelming. Please, allow me to introduce my family.” He pointed to Splinter. “This is our father Master Splinter. Like us, he was never human. After we were all mutated, my brothers and I followed him around so he decided to take us in.” He then turned to point to his brothers. “These are my brothers; Michelangelo, Raphael, Leonardo…, and Donatello. Donatello is also from another dimension. He lost his family and accepted our offer to stay here, with us. To keep things from being too confusing, we call him Tello for short. You’ve met Leatherhead and this is my daughter Snow.” He smiled softly. “I’ll explain her later.”

“You lost your family?” Michelle asked, her voice was full of sorrow. “That’s awful.”

“Did you see it happen?” Rachael asked, earning herself a light swat from Leah. “What? It’s a valid question.”

“I… I did have to watch,” Tello answered. 

“You poor thing,” Michelle said. 

Mikey softly groaned and whispered to Raph, “He’s getting pity points.” Raph could only roll his eyes in response. 

Splinter’s counterpart stepped forward and bowed. “My name is Hamato Yuri but my daughters call me Sliver.” She pointed to each of the girls as she said their names. “This is Leah, my eldest. Donna is our technician, she is very smart. Rachael is a strong fighter. And Michelle..., she is the most agile. Her cat’s name is Klink.”

“My cat’s name is Klunk,” Mikey blurted earning another swat from Raph. 

“Welcome,” Splinter said, bowing in return. “You are welcome to stay as long as you like.”

“So…,” Leo said to Don. “I’m sure there is an interesting story here.”

“Yes,” Donatello said, grinning nervously. “I was observing the different dimensions when I came across theirs. I saw that they were in trouble. My plan was to bring them here, wait for the trouble to pass, and then return them to their world. What I didn’t know was that their world was coming to an end… so there is nowhere to send them back to.”

“So then they are gonna stay?” Mikey asked, sounding a little too excited. 

Once again, Raph swatted Mikey. “They just lost their home and all of their friends, numb nuts. Try not to sound too happy about it.”

“Sorry,” Mikey mumbled. 

“We never made friends with any of the humans,” Michelle said.

“Did you ever go topside?” Leo asked. 

“No,” Sliver replied. “It was too dangerous. We remained hidden in our lair.”

“What destroyed your planet?” Leo wanted to know. 

“An alien invasion,” Leah answered. 

“They showed up and destroyed everything in a matter of minutes,” Donna continued. “Our world never stood a chance.”

“Interesting,” Leo said but did not elaborate. 

He didn’t need to for Raph to know what he was thinking. He wondered if the fact that they never went topside had anything to do with the aliens winning. If they had gone up, would it have been prevented? There have been plenty of times Raph and his brothers have save the world and it would have been destroyed long ago if they had never gone to the surface. 

Whatever the reason, they were here now. It was a tragic way to answer the Turtles’ prayers but Raph was glad that they were no longer alone in the world. They didn’t have to wait to reach the point of desperation and settle for each other. They had a chance at love. Raph smiled to himself, he really was a hopeless romantic. 

He wondered which one he would end up with. Raph looked each of the girls over. They were all attractive but his eyes settled on Donna. Raph was close with Donny, closer than he was with any of his brothers, and there had been an instant connection with Tello. Would he have that same connection with her? 

If Leah was anything like Leo, she was out of the question. They would get on each other’s nerves. Rachael was also out. Raph knew himself well enough to know that he would not get along with himself. Two ticking time bombs would only set each other off and they would fight all of the time. And then there was Michelle. Aside from the fact that Mikey seemed very interested in her, Raph didn’t think he would want to put up with a female version of Mikey. She might be fun in bed but the rest of the time she would be annoying. 

So that left Donna. She was a little bigger than he would have liked but if she was anything like Donny, she was exactly what he wanted. 

“You are welcome to stay here, of course,” Splinter said. “We have enough room for you and, in time, we can find beds. It would be unwise, for you to stay somewhere that was not secure.”

“Yes,” Sliver replied. “Donatello and Leatherhead said the same thing.”

Her eyes shifted to Raph, something that was not lost on Splinter. “I assure you,” he said, drawing Sliver’s attention back to him. “My sons will behave themselves and will treat your daughters with the utmost respect.”

“I’m sure they will,” Sliver said with a slight nod of her head. “I am more concerned with the number of scars covering Raphael. Are they a result of your enemies?”

“Yes,” Raph answered. “But it is also my fault. I was angry and struck out on my own. I tried to blow off some steam by taking on a gang without first finding out how many were there. There was more than I could handle and they took full advantage of that fact.”

“Now pity points for you,” Mikey mumbled.

“We are no longer allowed to go out alone,” Leo added. “Our enemies are dangerous but we can handle them as long as we are together. We will be able to keep your daughters safe if we ever take them topside.”

“We can defend ourselves,” Rachael snapped. 

“I’m sure you are all well trained fighters,” Leo stated calmly. “However, you lack experience in real combat. Our enemies would be able to take the four of you out.”

Rachael moved to argue but Sliver stopped her. “He has a point. I don’t want any of you to go out without at least two of them with you.”

“Fine,” Rachael said through gritted teeth. If looks could kill, Leo would be on fire. Yeah, Raph thought to himself, there was no way he would be able to be in a relationship with her. 

“We can look for a home for you and assist in the work to set it up,” Donatello offered.

Sliver sighed. “To be honest, it would be pointless. Let’s not kid ourselves. By the time we had a location secured there would be at least one couple established. Once you all start falling in love, you will not want to be apart.”

“I agree.” Splinter chuckled as he nodded his head and turned towards his sons. “Michelangelo, you will need to move the cat structure you have been constructing with Donatello. Maybe the space under the stairs will work better. We will need that room for the girls.”

“Yes Master Splinter,” Mikey bowed and then turned to Michelle. “Do you wanna see if Klink gets along with Klunk and Ice Cream Kitty?”

“You have a cat named Ice Cream Kitty?” Rachael scoffed, crossing her arms over her plastron. “What kind of name is that?”

“A perfect name for a mutant cat made of ice cream,” Mikey answered, flashing his signature toothy grin. 

“Okay, that I have to see.” Rachael turned to Michelle. “Let’s introduce Klink to the other cats.”

“Can we go?” Michelle begged, her big blue eyes pleading with her mother. “I’ll behave.”

“As long as the two of you stay together,” Sliver answered. “I do not want any one of you alone with one of the boys. Am I understood?” 

“Yes, Sensei,” the girls replied in unison. 

“I must insists the same,” Splinter said. “It is better to avoid temptation at this time. I want to be sure that you are all capable of overcoming the new demands your instincts are putting on you right now before any of you are alone with one of the girls.” 

That was a nice way of phrasing it, Raph thought. It was better than saying that he knew that they were horny and he didn’t trust that they wouldn’t try to force themselves on the girls. Leonardo did lose control enough to force himself on Mikey when Bishop managed to find a way to chemically activate those same hormones. It wouldn’t be a good way to start out a new relationship. 

“Hai, Sensei,” the boys said in unison. 

“I’ll go with them as well,” Donatello stated. “Mikey needs me to help with the structure anyway. Two boys and two girls, we’ll keep an eye on each other.”

“You may go,” Sliver said to her two youngest. 

“Thanks, mommy,” Michelle squeaked as she bounced on the balls of her feet. “Let’s go.”

After they had left, Splinter turned to Leo and Tello. “Leonardo, I would like for you to take Tello to go clean out the extra room that is connected to the dojo. Use some of the supplies you brought over from Tello’s lair to make it comfortable for Master Yuri. Use the tatami for her room. The girls can sleep on makeshift pallets until we can find them beds.”

“Yes, father,” Leo said, bowing respectfully. 

As they left, Splinter addressed Leatherhead. “If you would be so kind as to take Master Yuri and her remaining two daughters to compile a list of things they need. We will go out tonight to the junk yard to gather as many supplies as possible.”

“It will be my pleasure,” Leatherhead replied. He turned to Sliver and gestured for them to follow him. “If you will come with me. I will take you back to the lab so we can make a list of you what you will need.”

“Thank you,” Sliver said, leading the way out of the door. 

Once they were gone, Splinter turned his attention to Raph. A sense of dread washed over Raph as he anticipated his father’s request. “There are several unused rooms down in the tunnels,” Splinter started. “It would not be hospitable for us to force all four of the girls into one room, nor should we have them stay in one of the rooms down in the tunnels. It would be best if they had two rooms that are close by.”

“I’ll move my collection,” Raph mumbled. “I’ll do it while they are at the junk yard tonight.” The last thing he wanted right now was for the girls to see his collection. They wouldn’t understand. Hell, though they supported it, his brothers didn’t fully understand it. He would get it all moved while they were gone. 

“Thank you, my son.”


	31. Rated

Mikey was grateful that Donny and Tello had managed to get the garage working. They were able to take the Battle-Shell to the junk yard which meant that they would be able to get more stuff and not have to carry it all back. 

They were able to find two extra mattresses, four end tables, three lamps, three old laptops, some old Christmas lights, and a front porch swing. Mikey insisted that they take the front porch swing, though no one else really wanted to. Mikey had a few plans for the old, beat up wooden swing. 

He placed a few other seemingly random items into the trailer that was hitched to the Battel-Shell. Donatello eyed him suspiciously but didn’t say anything. The genius turtle was too busy gathering all of the computer parts he could find. 

As they continued their search, Mikey made it a point to talk to the girls as often as possible. Even more importantly, he made it a point to help Michelle. He liked her, a lot. She was everything he had ever wanted in a girl. She was upbeat and funny, doing all that she could to bring a smile to her sisters’ faces, and green with a nicely shaped carapace that he was sure would fit perfectly against his plastron. 

He caught himself staring at her a few times, imagining what it would be like to rub up against her. His tail was so stiff that he couldn’t tuck it. But he wasn’t the only one whose tail was down. Leo and Tello’s tails were also on display. 

He liked the others. They were all cute in their own ways but Michelle was the one he really wanted. He had to make sure his brothers knew that, if it wasn’t already obvious to them. 

When they got back to the lair Mikey moved his haul to the other end of the tunnel, away from the garage. He had some big plans. He was sure that he had all that he needed. 

As he made his way back up on the platform, Mikey noticed that the door to Raph’s special room was wide open. It had been years since Mikey had seen the inside of that room. He crept up to the open door to take a peek inside. Sadly the room was empty. 

“I moved it all into a room down in the tunnels.” 

Raph’s voice had Mikey turning around. “I would have stayed to help you.”

“You know as well as I do that you wouldn’t have passed up the chance to spend time with the girls.” Raph shook his head and smiled. “And I don’t want anyone touching my things. Especially you.”

“Hey now. I have a collection of my own, you know,” Mikey argued. “I would have treated your collection with the upmost respect.”

“Maybe,” Raph said with a shrug. “But you would have been making some kind of comment about everything the whole time.”

“If you’re implying that I would have been making fun of you…,” Mikey started but Raph cut him off. 

“You would have.”

“Maybe a little,” Mikey grinned and then patted Raph on the back. “Let’s get to work getting this room set up for the girls. We managed to find a lot of great stuff.”

Since the rooms were originally intended to be stores in the subway station, they were already well lit and ornate. So they weren’t drab in any way but they still needed some furniture. Leah and Donna decided to room together leaving Rachael and Michelle to take the other. Much to Mikey’s delight, the boys had decided to help their counterparts move into their rooms. It gave him more time to talk to Michelle. 

They shared a few laughs and he got to know more about her. Like how she likes comic books and video games. Could she be more perfect?

Though Raph and Rachael spoke to each other, it was clear that they were not interested in one another. They kept their discussion on workout regimens and sports. 

The more he heard her speak the more Mikey noticed how flat and gruff Rachael’s way of speaking was compared to Michelle’s. Rachael was a girl who kept her emotions to herself. He was sure that, like Raph, she would be quick to show anger but also had subtle ways to show affection. She was okay but not someone Mikey wanted to spend the rest of his life with. 

Between the items they had collected from Tello’s lair and the junk yard they were able to put together two well furnished rooms. They didn’t have bed frames but there were at least mattresses, pillows, and some sheets to cover them. They put down a few rugs to add some color and finished them off with desks, tables, and lamps. They weren’t too bad.

In time, as more things were collected, the rooms will reflect the personalities of the girls living in them. Mikey, however, believed that the current arrangement wasn’t going to last long. He gave it a few months, at the most. He was going to be sharing a room with Michelle in no time.

The girls said goodnight to the boys and to their mother before retiring to their rooms. It had been a long day for them and they needed the time to be able to process it all. It was all going to feel like a dream to them in the morning and it was going to hit them hard. 

Mikey remembered what Donny had said about the grieving process. It’s something they’ve had to deal with a lot lately. The girls were still in the beginning stages. It was fortunate that they didn’t have any human friends on their world. Maybe it will help them through the grieving process faster.

As Tello and Raph started heading into their room, Mikey grabbed them and led them to the room he shared with Leo. 

“What the hell?” Raph gripped as he was dragged along. 

“We need to talk,” Mikey said, shoving them into the room and shutting the door. “About the girls.”

“Really?” Leo rolled his eyes as he flopped down on the bed. “You want to do that now? It’s been a long day. Aren’t you tired?”

“How can I be tired when there are girls in the lair?” Mikey said, sitting on the floor. “Their scent is still driving me crazy. I’m going to have to knock one out before I’m going to be able to sleep. Do you think we will all end up with our counterparts?”

“No,” the others answered in unison. Their unified and definite response surprised Mikey. The others seemed equally as surprised as they looked at one another. 

Tello squinted his eyes a little bit at looked at Mikey. “When you say, ‘knock one out’…?”

“Masturbate,” Mikey clarified. 

“Okay,” Tello nodded, looking a little uncomfortable. 

“It’s too soon to make any decisions,” Leo said, changing the subject. “We barely know them.”

“Okay. Okay. But, just so we are clear,” Mikey stated, looking at each of them, “I want Michelle.”

“We could tell,” Tello replied. “You were painfully obvious today. And, believe me, I know what painfully obvious looks like.” He looked Mikey in the eyes. “A little bit of advice; don’t push yourself on her too hard. It might end up pushing her in the arms of another.”

“But,” Mikey argued. “You guys know I want her so you won’t go after her. Right? I know we are new to this but there’s some kind of bro code when it comes to this stuff.”

“I ain’t gonna go after her,” Raph replied. “But I’m not gonna ignore her or be rude to her either. I’m gonna treat her normal. I’m sure the others are going to as well. We can’t control who she or any of her sisters fall for.”

Mikey stood up and glared at Raph. “You want her don’t you.”

Raph simply shook his head. “No. I have no interest in her. Not my type.”

“Perfect’s not your type?” Mikey asked in disbelief. 

“I don’t like twigs,” Raph replied as a matter of fact and then smirked. “I’d rip her in half trying to fuck her.”

Mikey put his hands on his head. “I don’t want that mental image.”

Shaking his head, Tello sat down and mumbled, “I am not used to the foul language or how open you are when it comes to... sex.”

“You’ll get used to it eventually.” Leo chuckled from his position on the bed. “Michelle is perfect for you, Mikey. You should be happy Raph doesn’t see her as ‘perfect’. It would be bad if any of us decided that we wanted the same girl.”

“You’re right,” Mikey plopped back down on the ground. “Because, if you or Raph went after Michelle, I wouldn’t stand a chance.”

“That’s not true,” Leo said, sitting up to look directly at Mikey. “Why would you say that?”

“Let’s face it, you and Raph are the alphas,” Tello said, following Mikey’s reasoning. “You two will have your pick of the group.”

“Really?” Raph interjected. “You think I’ll have first pick? Looking like this? I’m disfigured. I can’t give them children. I’m a fucking hot head and bound to snap at each of them eventually.” He turned to Mikey. “You’re upbeat and outgoing. On top of that you still have your looks with just enough scars to be interesting. Play your cards right and you’ll have the girls swooning all over you.”

“Tello has sympathy points,” Mikey pointed out. “And you are the bad boy. Girls go for that. They see the two of you as a challenge. They will be all over the two of you.”

“Will you listen to yourselves?” Leo interrupted. “Are you three seriously arguing over who is on the bottom here?”

“I guess we are all worried about being the one who is settled for,” Tello replied. “Or possibly having to settle. I don’t even know if I’m ready. I’m emotionally unstable and I’m still grieving for my family. I don’t think I’m fully over April or that I could go through that kind of heartbreak again. I’m terrified. It’s why avoided them when we were at the junk yard. I don’t want to have a crush on one of them.”

As Tello rambled he looked like he was about ready to cry. Raph walked over and placed and comforting hand on Tello’s shoulder. 

“They noticed,” Leo said softly. “At one point or another they came up to me to ask if you were okay. I told them that you were still grieving. I think they fully understand that you are in a fragile state right now.”

“They are going to go all motherly on you, dude,” Mikey said. “One or more of them is bound to fall for you in the process.”

“We all need to slow down and take our time with this,” Leo said as a matter of fact. “Don’t rush into anything. We don’t want there to be any… awkwardness.”

“I agree,” Raph said, nodding his head. “We gotta get to know them before we make our decisions. Maybe we can sort of date them, hang out or something.”

“I call bullshit,” Mikey scoffed. “Don’t sit there and try and tell me that you don’t have your eyes set on one of the girls.” He pointed at Raph and smiled. “We all know how you feel about Don. If Don had never built his portal thing, you would have eventually accepted his and Leatherhead’s offer to join them. You’ve got a chance at a female version of him now. Or are the thunder thighs a deal breaker for you.”

Raph’s hand shot out and smacked Mikey, sending him sprawling on the floor. Rubbing his sore cheek, Mikey looked up at his seething brother. “I guess that answers that question. A little hypocritical though, don’t you think?” Raph’s eyes narrowed but he didn’t say anything so Mikey continued. “You called Michelle a twig, like, two minutes ago. You don’t think that hearing that didn’t make me mad?”

“You’re right,” Raph mumbled. “I’m sorry.”

“We should all make sure that we don’t make comment on the girls’ bodies,” Leo stated. “From the little I understand about women, that is a huge no no.”

Tello turned his attention to Leo. “Is there one that’s caught your eye?”

“I don’t know,” Leo admitted, lying back down. “It seems that I have only Leah and Rachael to choose from.”

Tello sank to the floor. “You’re gonna choose Leah and I’m gonna be stuck with Rachael. Don’t get me wrong, she’s pretty and all but she is going to own me.”

Raph let out a hearty laugh. “She does strike me as the dominating type.” 

“She’d be perfect for you, Leo,” Mikey said joining in the laughter. The next thing he knew there was a pillow in his face. His brothers seemed to delight in hitting him. 

When the pillow fell from his face to the floor Mikey could see Leo sitting up in the bed, glaring at him. “I told you those things in confidence.” Despite the anger in Leo’s voice Mikey couldn’t help but continue to laugh. 

“So I guess that leaves Leah for me,” Tello said. “Or… more to the point, Leah is going to be stuck with me.”

“Don’t go back down that road,” Leo said, throwing the other pillow at Tello. “Besides, like I said before, it’s too early to make any decisions. We could all change our minds in a few weeks.”

“There is another problem for you guys,” Mikey pointed out, getting his bothers’ attention. “What if their tastes are like yours? There is gonna be no problem for me because that would mean that Michelle likes me too. It’s going to be complicated for you guys if Leah wants Raph, Donna wants Leo, and Rachael wants Tello.”

“That would be awful,” Tello replied. “Someone’s going to end up with their feelings hurt.”

“There is a good chance that there will be tears,” Raph agreed. 

“No one do anything that you will regret,” Leo said. “Keep your hands to yourself and your dicks in your tails. Eventually it will all work out.”


	32. Food

Leonardo woke up to find Mikey gone. It wasn’t like his little brother to be up before him. He was up to something.

Leo dressed and headed out the door in search of his brother to make sure he wasn’t breaking any rules. When he stepped out he saw Donny and Tello tweaking the cooling unit to Ice Cream Kitty’s play center under the stairs. It was good of Donny and Mikey to come up with the set up. It gave the mutant cat a little more freedom than spending her life in the freezer. 

She was able to move through a series of open areas that were kept at a freezing temperature while Klink and Klunk were able bound around her on padded areas. The three cats got along well enough and played together with the various toys. 

“Have you seen Mikey?” Leo asked the duo. 

“He’s in the kitchen,” Tello answered. 

“It’s not his morning to cook,” Leo thought out loud. 

Donny chuckled. “He got it in his head to do something nice for the girls to help raise their spirits. He’s actually been up for a few hours. I know this because he woke me up and had me go with him to the store.”

“Okay,” Leo said with a soft sigh and then turned to Tello. “Is Raph up yet?”

“He’s struggling a little this morning,” Tello replied. “Some mornings he’s a little more stiff than others.”

“I’ll give him a little while longer then,” Leo mumbled, half to himself. “I’m gonna go check on Mikey, see if he needs any help.”

Donny held up an empty bowl. “Since you are going to the kitchen, would you mind taking this with you? ICK has finished her breakfast.”

“Sure,” Leo answered, taking the bowl. 

Leo stepped onto the platform and saw the girls sitting on the stairs, talking to their mother. They all looked like there were still overwhelmed and a little confused. He walked towards them. “You all have free reign of the lair.” Then he shrugged. “Well, mostly. We respect privacy so bedrooms are off limits and Donny’s lab is out of bounds unless you want a lecture.”

“I heard that,” Donny called out from the other side of the staircase. “And it’s true.” He appeared from around the stairs and looked directly at Donna. “Except for you. Later on today I’ll get you familiar with the lab and set you up your own workstation.” He ducked back around the stairs and called out, “I can always use the help of another genius. The work here never seems to end.”

Leo couldn’t help but chuckle at his brother. “My point is, you don’t have to stay here on the stairs. The entertainment room is more comfortable, or you can go in the dojo and look around. There is a hot tub in one of the bathrooms. Go have a nice relaxing soak. Don’t sit on the hard steps. This is your home now, make yourselves comfortable.”

“Thank you,” Sliver said. “I will admit that we do feel like interlopers right now. It will take us some time to settle in.”

“I understand,” Leo replied. “I’m going to go check on Mikey in the kitchen. We’ll call you when breakfast is ready.”

“Thank you,” Sliver said, with a slight bow of her head. She then turned to her daughters. “Let’s go into the dojo and get out selves familiar with it.” The girls stood and followed their mother into the dojo. It was the better decision. The entertainment room would be occupied at the moment with Leatherhead and Snow. 

Leo took his leave and headed into the kitchen. He watched in amazement as he placed the bowl in the sink. Michelangelo had a large pile of biscuits sitting off to the side on the counter. The scent of bacon, sausage, and eggs filled the air. “What are you making?”

Mikey looked up from his cooking. “I Googled, ‘comfort food’ and saw an article on southern cooking. So I went to the store and got everything I would need.” He pointed to the plate of biscuits. “Can you take those to the table?”

“In a minute,” Leo replied. “I just had a thought. The table isn’t going to be big enough for everyone. I’m going to get Raph and pull out the larger table. We’re going to have to start eating our meals together on the platform from now on.”

“Sounds good,” Mikey said, getting back to his cooking. “Once you get the table set up come help me take the food out to it.”

“Okay,” Leo replied and made his way back out of the kitchen. He exited the kitchen in time to see Raph step out of his room. “Hey,” Leo called out to him. “You up for helping me get the big table out of storage and on to the platform?”

“Yeah,” Raph replied with a tight nod of his head. “I think so.”

Together they carried the large table, usually reserved for Christmas dinner, out of storage and put it together. It had to be placed on the platform because the subway car was not big enough for it. The table should be big enough to sit their growing family. Leo didn’t know what they were going to do when Christmas rolled around. They were going to need an even bigger table. 

By the time they were done, Mikey was finished preparing breakfast. Leo and Raph helped him set the table while Donny and Tello gathered the others. 

The girls came up to the table and looked at the spread. “What’s all this?” Rachael asked in a flat tone. 

“Breakfast,” Mikey exclaimed, spreading his arms wide. 

“We normally don’t eat like this,” Donny stated as he walked up to the table with Snow in his arms. “We usually keep breakfast small because we don’t want to be weighed down during practice. But we made an exception for you.”

“But… we’re vegetarians,” Michelle said. 

Mikey’s face dropped. “What?” he whimpered out. “But….”

“You should see your face,” Michelle laughed while Leah and Donna cracked a smile. 

Rachael simply smirked and let out a soft chuckle. “I can’t believe you fell for that.”

“That was funny,” Raph agreed with a chuckle, slapping Mikey on the shoulder. “You looked like you were about to have a panic attack.”

“Everything looks wonderful,” Sliver stated as she took her seat. “Thank you.”

“Yes.” Leah sat in the seat directly to the right of her mother. “Thank you, Michelangelo. It’s been a while since we have had a warm meal… with fresh ingredients.”

“I remember what that was like,” Mikey said, making a face as he sat down, taking the seat next to the one Michelle chose. “No need to be formal. You guys can call me Mikey.”

When they were all finally settled at the table, Mikey pointed to all the food. “The biscuits go with everything,” he stated. “You can eat them with the eggs and bacon or make them into a breakfast sandwich. There is a cheese sauce over there. There is also sausage gravy to pour over them. Or you can have butter and jelly or honey. There’s hash browns on that plate there. I have hot tea, iced tea, water, coffee, juice, and milk. So eat up.”

Leonardo gave everyone time to get their food and start eating before he decided to ask, “Are you all settling in alright? I know you don’t have a lot of things right now but, in time, we will be able to find or buy things for you.”

“We have lost everything,” Sliver replied with a slight nod of her head. “If it weren’t for the fact that my daughters had their weapons on them, those would have been lost as well. Some of the items we have lost can never be replaced and others… would be too costly.”

“For example?” Splinter pressed.

Sliver let out a sorrowful sigh. “We had instruments. Four of them in fact. Michelle and Donna were learning how to play the koto while Rachael and Leah were learning the shakuhachi. I had brought the instruments with me from Japan. They had been in my family for generations.”

Leo glanced over at Raph as Sliver spoke. He could see that his brother was taking mental notes. Sliver was right, the costs of the four instruments would be more than they could afford and it wasn’t likely that they were going to be able to find any to restore. None of them had the skills to make them. So, what was Raph planning?

“Mother also had all of her kimonos,” Leah added. “And her brushes and combs. Her tea sets. Her incense for when she meditated.”

Michelle nodded. “Even though we lived in the sewers, mother was always a proper lady.”

“Yeah,” Rachael smirked. “All prim and proper until one of us got her mad.” Sliver looked over at her daughter and narrowed her eyes slightly, causing Rachael’s smile to drop as she looked down at her food. 

“And then there were the things we’d collected over the years,” Michelle continued. “I had all of my comic books and a few games Donna had been able to get working again. Rachael had her weights. Leah had her collection of boring books.”

“They weren’t boring, they were informative,” Leah argued. “They were useful.”

“Boring,” Michelle stated, drawing the word out.

“I had my projects,” Donna said, interrupting her sisters before their argument could escalate. “But they were just things to make living in the sewers easier. I didn’t really have anything else.”

“You had that damned doll,” Rachael pointed out. 

Leo saw Raph perk up at that and then felt his larger brother kick him under the table. Getting the hint, Leo asked, “You had a doll?”

Donna blushed and looked down at her food. “It was something mother found and gave to me when I was little. She was just a plastic human doll that was all tattered, but… I liked her. She… was comforting.”

“Donny was attached to a teddy bear for the longest time,” Mikey stated. “He slept with it every night and cried when it was lost.” He looked over at his brother. “What ever happened to that thing?”

“It got lost when the mousers attacked our home,” Donny answered, contemplating the memory. Then a soft smile spread across his beak. “Raph eventually found me another one that is similar. It is in my lab, on my night stand.”

It was clear the way Raph and Don felt about each other. Their whole lives, they have done little things for each other without needing to be asked. Leonardo looked over at Rachael. What if she was like Raph and was attracted to Tello? That would mean Raph would be with Donna, Tello would be with Rachael and Mikey would be with Michelle. That would leave Leah for Leo. And that would also mean that Leah would be holding a torch for Raph. Settling for someone who had also settled was not something Leo wanted to do.

He looked over at Tello and remembered their discussion last night. Tello had no desire for Rachael. That, at least, gave Leo hope. 

“Maybe we could eventually find you another doll,” Leo offered to Donna, setting his mind back on the conversation. “It will take some time but we will be able to find things for each of you,” he added looking around the table. “I know there are things that can never be replaced. However, you will eventually have collections of personal belongings again.”

“We know the feeling of losing everything,” Donny added sympathetically. “We’ve had to move and start over again so many times. It will get better.”

“Replacing your comics in this world is going to be hard,” Raph said to Michelle.

“Why?” Michelle asked, tilting her head to the side. “Don’t you have Silver Sentry comics here?”

“Yeah we do!” Mikey answered with a cocky grin. “He’s one of my favorite super heroes. I’m even his part time sidekick.”

“Him?” Michelle looked over at Mikey. “Your Silver Sentry is a him?” She looked up in thought for a moment then her face lit up as the realization struck her. “Guys, it’s like everyone on this planet is the opposite gender than they were on ours.”

“You just figured that out?” Rachael asked flatly. “You’re a little slow on the uptake there, sis.” 

“That’s enough,” Sliver warned. Leo had a feeling that warning Rachael was something she had to do often. Leo had to take a bite of food to hide the smile. 

“Yes, ma’am,” Rachael mumbled, once again looking down at her food. She was so much like Raph. 

They continued to sit around the table even after all the food was gone. They spent the time comparing different aspects of their lives and the parallels of their worlds. Tello was even able to talk about his brothers without tearing up. Leo was glad to see how far he had come in his recovery. 

The more he got to know her, the more Leo was sure that Rachael was the one he wanted. She was strong, witty, and devoted to her family. Part of him had desired a combination of Karai and Raph and Rachael seemed to fit the bill. She was everything he loved about the two of them. He just hoped that she wasn’t like them in who she was attracted to; the studious nerd type. Leo inwardly sighed. He needed to stop thinking about it so much. 

When they finally decided to get up from the table it was past mid-morning. Tello helped Raph with the dishes while Donny took Donna up to the lab to get her settled in. Michelangelo ducked down into the tunnel to work on a secret project. Leo had a feeling that it had something to do with Michelle. Of course it had something to do with Michelle. She was all Mikey was thinking about. Leo had more control and he was thinking about the girls, and sex, almost constantly. He hadn’t been able to tuck his tail since they got here. 

By lunch time, everyone was still too full from breakfast to really eat. It was a good thing that Splinter and Sliver had decided to give them the morning off to help get the girls acclimated to their new home. Having a full stomach tended to hinder movements. Leo had forgotten how well Mikey could cook when he applied himself. 

After a small snack to tide him over until dinner, Leonardo headed to his room to meditate and reflect on all he had learned about the girls. He needed the moment alone, to settle his mind and get his thoughts back under control. 

He locked the door, dimmed the lights, and lit a few candles. Sitting on the floor, Leo sought his center and tried to clear his mind. Tried. He couldn’t get them out of his head. He couldn’t get her out of his head. Her voice. He knew she would be demanding, and vocal about it. 

With a groan of frustration, Leo got up off the floor. It seemed like meditation wasn’t going to be enough to calm him down.


	33. Give Up

Despite the burden of the box she was carrying and the fact that she was pregnant with twins, April hurried through the underground path that led to the lair. She couldn’t help but feel excited. Why wouldn’t she be? Donatello had rescued female turtles and April couldn’t wait to meet them. 

Casey was hard pressed to keep up. He was guiding Mrs. Morrison and the blind old woman moved slowly. April tried to wait for them but she just couldn’t so she told them that she would run ahead so the Turtles would be ready for them when they arrived. 

She entered through the garage and Donatello was already up on the platform waiting for her. “Raph’s a little mad that you left Mrs. Morrison behind.” Leave it to Donatello to be watching the surveillance feed for their arrival. There was no sneaking up on the Turtles’ lair. 

“I couldn’t help myself,” April said in her defense. “Girl Turtles! I need to meet them and their sensei. Mrs. Morrison will be fine with Casey. Besides, if Raph was so worried about her he could run down the tunnel to meet them.”

With a soft chuckle Donny helped April up onto the platform, taking the box from her so she could navigate the ladder better and then taking her hand when she reached the top. “What’s in the box?”

“A few old dresses and some old dolls,” April answered. “I got them for really cheap at a garage sale. I brought them for Raph. I’ve also got some money for Raph. The last few dolls he restored for me sold quickly. People love them. So this is his cut.” 

“We’ll leave it here on the platform,” Donny said, placing the box close to the wall. “His special room has been moved down the tunnel since we needed the other room for the girls.” He then turned and pointed April to the stairs. “You go on up to the entertainment room. I’ll wait here for Casey and Mrs. Morrison. We’ll join you once they get here.”

“Okay.” April didn’t need to be convinced. She walked up the stairs as fast as her pregnant belly would allow her. There was a new, notable musk in the air as she approached the entertainment room. At least it wasn’t overwhelming. April had become a little more sensitive to smells due to her pregnancy. 

She entered the entertainment room and couldn’t hide the smile on her face. She was beyond happy that the guys had a real chance a love. “Hi, I’m April.” She waved at them, stepping forward to take the hand of the closest one. 

“My name is Leah,” she replied.

“It is a pleasure to meet you,” April said. 

“My name’s Michelle,” the orange banded girl said as she rushed over to look April over. “You’re the first human we have ever met. You’re pretty.”

“Thank you,” April replied. “I think you’re pretty as well.” Michelle blushed as a sweet smile spread across her face. She really was adorable. 

“These are our sisters, Rachael and Donna,” Leah said indicating the other two before turning to their mother. “This is Sliver, our master and mother.”

“Hi,” April said, shaking Sliver’s hand. She then leaned in close and whispered, “If there is anything you need…. Specifically feminine needs….”

A soft smile graced Sliver’s lips as she shook her head. “That will not be necessary,” she whispered back. “I no longer have a uterus. Thank you for the offer and the deaccession.”

April sensed a pang of sorrow in Sliver’s words. As much as she wanted to know more, she knew better than to ask. She was not close enough to Sliver to get such personal information out of her. Maybe one day. 

“Your daughters have lovely names,” April said a little louder. “How did you come up with them?”

“I named them after my favorite Renaissance painters,” Sliver answered. 

“Huh?” April tilted her head to the side. “I don’t recall there being very many female Renaissance painters. And the ones I know never had names like theirs.”

“Everyone on our world was the opposite gender than they are on this one,” Michelle stated as a matter of fact, looking proud of herself. 

“That makes sense,” April nodded. “So then, instead of Michelangelo, it would be….”

“Michelangela,” Sliver finished, nodding her head. “I had shortened it to Michelle. It was easier for the girls to say. Donna’s namesake was, Donna di Niccole di Betti Bardi. I shortened that one for obvious reasons. I almost called her Nichole but decided that I liked Donna better. Leah’s name sake was Leahnora de Vinci. I had also shortened that one. Rachael was the only one whose name was not shortened. It was lovely as it was and easy enough for the girls to say.”

“It would have been fascinating to visit your world,” April said wistfully, “and to compare the two to see how different things would be if every man in history was a woman.”

“It will be interesting to learn this world’s history and compare it to the one I knew,” Sliver agreed. “I will be sure to tell you all that I discover. It will make for interesting conversation.”

“I’m sure it will,” April said with a slight chuckle. “I look forward to long conversations about it. I just love history.” She then turned to Raph and handed him his money. “Before I forget. This is for you. I have a box downstairs with more things for you to restore.”

“I have some more ready for you,” Raph said, taking the money. “I’ll get them for you before you go.”

At that time Donny and Casey entered with Mrs. Morrison. “I brought cookies,” Mrs. Morrison announced as she entered the room. “I hope there is enough. I know you boys can have a big appetite.”

Mikey eagerly accepted the bag of cookies while Raph guided Mrs. Morrison to the sofa. Once Mrs. Morrison was settled, Raph placed Snow in her lap. “Mi Mor’son,” Snow cooed, giggling in delight at seeing Mrs. Morrison again.

Introductions were made once again as Mikey passed out the cookies. It was obvious that it was the first time the girls had ever had fresh cookies. And, much to April’s surprise, Mikey had noticed this as well and made sure that each girl got a second cookie before anyone else. 

“I hope we get to eat like this always,” Michelle said past a mouth full of cookie she was savoring. She then looked up at Raph. “So… what kind of things do you restore?”

“Dolls,” Mikey answered, a little aggressively. 

There was definitely more tension in all of the guys and they were all behaving differently. Before, it was rare for April to see their tails; they tended to make sure they were tucked at all times. Now, they were down on full display. 

April had to bite her lip to keep from smiling when she realized that the guys were posturing for the girls. She wondered if they even realized that they were doing it. The poor things were out of their comfort zone and didn’t know what to do. 

“Dolls?” Rachael smirked. “I don’t see you as the doll type.”

A slight triumphed smile turned up the edges of Mikey’s mouth and Raph looked ready to pounce on him. Being around girls seemed to be making them a tad more aggressive. So April decided to step in before things got out of hand. 

“Raphael is quite the artist and works well with his hands,” she stated, patting Raph on his shoulder. “He cleans the dolls off, fixes their hair, and repaints them. Then I either sell them to help support the guys or we donate them to children living on the streets. Donny works on restoring electronics, when he can. Raph paints those to look better as well. It helps to keep him busy and out of trouble.”

“Speaking of which,” Raph mumbled as he quickly counted the money April had given him. He then removed a few bills from the stack and handed them to Donny before tucking the rest back in his belt. 

The guys usually kept most of what they made for themselves but they also offered part of it to the family savings. Raph and Donny were usually the ones who contributed the most, Donny making the most money with customer service calls. Leo and Mikey didn’t really possess any skills that could be discreetly sold. 

“Thanks,” Donny said, accepting the money and tucking into his belt. 

“It’s good that you have a way of making money,” Sliver stated. 

Leo nodded. “It is nice to be able buy things we need instead of always having to scavenge for them. Donna will at least be able to contribute once Donny sets her up with a call center. We’ll have to wait and see if the others will be able to contribute somehow beyond scavenging. It’s difficult for us to come across honest work.”

“We’ll do whatever we can,” Leah assured him. 

Leo smiled. “Of that, I have no doubt.”

The rest of the visit went well. April tried to get a read on which girls the guys liked and vice versa. The only one she could tell right off the bat was Mikey. He was head over heels in love with Michelle. Fortunately it looked like Michelle felt the same for him. With the others, it was a little harder to tell. 

Before it was time to go, April followed Raph down to the platform and he picked up the box she had brought. She had intended to wait for him there; no one was ever invited into Raph’s sanctuary. So she was surprised when he indicated for her to follow him. 

When they got to the room, Raph pulled a key out of his belt and unlocked the door. She suspected that maybe he would have her wait there. But then, he stepped aside to allow April to enter.

She was amazed at what she saw. Dresses in garment bags, or covered in trash bags, hung on a rack with shoe boxes stacked under them. Dolls in various stages of restoration sat at a work station with everything well organized. Some finished dolls were kept up on shelves; ones Raph didn’t want to part with. She had no idea what to expect going in, but it wasn’t this. 

Raph walked over to pick up one of the numerous boxes that lined the walls. He opened it to reveal a large wad of money. April already knew what he was saving his money to buy. He wanted to make his own porcelain dolls and was saving to buy a quality kiln and supplies. 

After placing the money she had given him with the rest, Raph closed the lid and handed her the box. 

“Do you finally have enough?” she asked, taking the box. “You are going to need to tell me what kind you want. Or better yet, write it all down.”

“The kiln will have to wait,” Raph answered and then turned to pick up another box. “You’ll need to sell a few more things for me. But, you’ll have to be careful about it.” He pulled a small felt bag out of the box and handed it to April. “That has a few stones in it that I took out of some of the jewelry I have. And then I melted down the gold. You don’t want someone asking questions on how you got them.” 

Raphael never parted with his jewelry, some of the dolls, yes, but never the jewelry. The fact that he took them apart and melted them down was a sure sign that he was up to something. 

“What do you want me to buy that would cost so much money?” April asked as she looked into the bag. There was a few thousand dollars’ worth of precious stones and nuggets inside. 

To answer her question, he handed her a slip of paper. April read over the short list: Two Shakuhachi, two Koto, and several new, women’s kimono. Tucking the slip of paper into her pocket, April said, “I’ll see what I can do. This might take some time.”

“Just make sure you get the best quality you can,” Raph insisted. “And don’t tell them that it’s from me. Just say that you got them somehow through your business and that you thought they would like them.” 

“Okay,” she assured him.

Once that was settled, Raph picked up the box with the finished dolls for her to sell and they headed back to the platform. April was excited to see the dolls and could not wait to take them home first. So, after they got back up on the platform, April took the box from Raph and headed for the stairs. 

April stopped mid stride when she noticed Donna standing at the foot of the steps. “Hi,” April said with a smile. “Did you need something?” April had noticed that even though Raph had relaxed when they were alone in his room, he had gone rigid again at the sight of Donna. Could it be that he liked her or was he like that for any of the girls? 

“I just… um,” Donna answered softly. “I was wondering if I could take a look at the dolls you brought before Raphael took them and if… maybe I could have one?”

“What would you want one of those for?” April walked up to Donna and sat down on the bottom step. She opened the box to show the dolls inside. “One of these will be much better. Look at how great they turned out. Raph really is talented.” She knew she shouldn’t get involved but she couldn’t help but play wingman just this once. 

“Those are very pretty,” Donna practically whispered. “It’s just that… Raphael worked so hard on them and…, you know…, they are meant to be sold. I couldn’t take one. So I’ll be okay with one of the ones you brought.”

“I have some in my room that I never meant to sell,” Raph offered. “You can have one of those.” Oh, he does like her, April thought. 

Donna blushed. “Oh, I couldn’t do that.”

“The whole reason I’ve collected them was so that I could give them to… someone… one day.” Raph was nervous. April could see it in his eyes. He used to be so confidant but now…. She was there when Raph tried to offer a gift to Joi; he was more sure of himself then. But, the rejection from Joi and the attack from Hun had crippled his confidence.

“I… um…,” Donna stammered as she looked off to the side and wrapped her arms around herself. Don’t reject him, April pleaded in her mind. She could see the heartbreak in Raph’s eyes. 

“I… uh… know what it’s like to lose everything,” Raph choked out, somehow managing to keep his composure. “It’s hard to replace the things that were special to you. Sometimes it feels like it’s impossible. If it will help make things easier for you, you can have any doll you want. Even if it’s one of the old tattered ones that April brought.”

“Thank you,” Donna whispered. “One of the ones April brought will be fine.”

“I’ll get the box so you can look through it,” Raph said and then jumped down off the platform. 

“Are you sure you don’t want one of these,” April offered one last time. 

Donna simply shook her head.

Raph returned with the box and set it down. He then stepped away to give Donna space while she looked through it. April noticed that his tail was tucked up again. He had given up. 

Donna selected a doll, quietly thanked them both, and then hurried off to her room. April could only watch as Raph picked the box up and made his way back to his special room.


	34. Drink

Rachael needed a quiet spot. As much as she loved her overly energetic sister, there was only so much she could take of Michelle. She wouldn’t shut up about the guys and kept trying to get Rachael to confess to which one she liked. 

She didn’t know who she liked. Choosing one of the guys was the last thing on Rachael’s mind at this point in time. It was beyond her how Michelle could be so interested, given what they were going through. Maybe in a few weeks but, right now, Rachael felt miserable.

She decided to do some exploring on her own to get herself familiar with the lair. She had to admit, it was beautiful. This station was never meant to be a simple stop. Whoever had developed it had intended it to be a destination. It was almost a pity that it was never finished, and forgotten. At least it served a good purpose now. 

Rachael climbed the flight of stairs to the top where it was supposed to exit to the street. A solid concrete wall now stood where the exit would have been. Rachael sat down and leaned her back against it, closing her eyes. She just needed a moment.

After a while the sound of someone coming up the stairs had Rachael opening her eyes again. She decided that if it was Michelle, she was going to hit her in the stomach. However, the turtle who came up the stairs was not Michelle but Raphael, carrying a six pack of beer. 

He stopped when he saw Rachael. He looked surprised to see her there. “What are you doing up here?” 

“Getting away from Michelle,” Rachael answered flatly. 

“I needed to get away from Mikey,” Raph chuckled. He looked back down the stairs. “I guess I’ll go. We’re not supposed to be alone together.”

“I’m in no mood for anything romantic,” Rachael replied. “Trust me, even if you tried, nothing’s gonna happen.” 

Raph looked at her and his eye narrowed a little. “No offence, but you’re not the one I want. So I wouldn’t try anything.”

“Good,” Rachael snorted. “If you are anything like me, we would be awful together.”

Raph smiled. “I agree.” He walked up the last of the steps and sat down next to her. “This is a good spot to get away from everyone sometimes.” After popping the top off of one of the beers, Raph passed it to Rachael. “Drinking alone sucks. Having you here will help to keep me from drinking the whole pack myself.” 

“Thanks,” Rachael accepted the beer and took a sip. It was the first time she had had beer that was cold. It was so much better that way. She looked over at Raph. “You really already have your eyes set on one of my sisters? We’ve only been here a week.”

Raph shrugged as he took a long drink from his bottle. “True we haven’t really gotten a chance to get to know ya. But, considering that you guys are girl versions of us, we all have a good idea which ones we would prefer.”

Rachael snorted. “I haven’t put any thought into it, to be honest.” She took a drink of her beer. “It’s the furthest thing from my mind.”

Raph gave her a sideways glance. “You are interested in being with a guy though. Right…? I mean… you’re not…. You know.”

“A lesbian?” Rachael asked, getting to the point. Raph simply gave an ‘I’m not judging’ shrug, drawing a half smile from Rachael as she shook her head. “No. I’m not into girls. I’m not good with expressing my emotions and I’m not into romantic shit. I’m not the kind of girl to swoon over a guy and daydream about love like Michelle is. On top of that, there is just too much going on right now.”

“You’re lying,” Raph stated, turning his head to look at her. “You want to be loved.”

Rachael sighed, clinched her jaw and looked up. “Okay fine. I do think about it at times but right now, hooking up with someone is not something I want to do. And, the part about not being good with my emotions is true.”

“I can tell.” Raph smiled. “You don’t even show much emotion in the way you talk. I’m not all that good with it either. I got a tough guy image to maintain.” He chuckled before finishing off the rest of his bottle and opened another one. “Opening yourself up is terrifying. It makes you vulnerable.” He looked down. “Being rejected is painful.”

“You say that like you’ve had the experience.” Rachael placed her empty bottle with the others and grabbed a new one. Then she pointed at Raph. “I know we’re bonding and all here but don’t make me regret prompting you to explain by getting all emotional.”

“I fell for a human girl a little over a year ago,” Raph admitted, shaking his head. “I won’t go into details. I thought…. I was wrong.” He looked over at Rachael. “I might hide my emotions but finding someone to love me and accept me has always been something I wanted. I was a hopeless romantic when I was a kid and then I learned not to be. I built walls.”

“Yeah,” Rachael said softly, nodding her head. “I was too.” She took a drink and then looked at the bottle as she spoke. “It became painful, knowing that it wasn’t going to happen. Over time I learned to shut it away. I pushed it all down until there was nothing left but anger.”

She looked at Raph. “I’m afraid to let myself hope again. What if none of your brothers want me? I don’t want to be the one who is settled for.”

Raph let out a soft chuckle. “I understand. I feel the same way. I think we all fear that a little.”

“What if we end up having to settle for each other?” Rachael asked. 

Raph sighed. “I don’t… know.” He looked at her and offered a warm smile. “It’s not like it would be the worst thing. If it came to that, I’d be good to you…. We’d fight often, but I’d be good to you. But you don’t have to worry. One of my brothers likes you. I’m not going to say which one though.”

“You already said that you don’t want me and Mikey wants Michelle so that just leaves Leo and Tello.” Rachael snorted and shook her head. “I came up here to avoid talking about this shit.” She finished off her second bottle and picked up another. “So let’s change the subject. We’ve established that we both tend to push down our feeling out of fear of being hurt and replace it with anger. What else do we have in common?”

Raph let out a long burp as he opened his final beer. “Do you like sports?”

“Yes,” Rachael nodded. “Mostly football and hockey. Are the mainstream sports all men or women?”

“Men,” Raph answered. “But there are professional women’s sports.”

“It was the same on my world,” Rachael stated. “Maybe it’s because men are more aggressive, and as much as I hate to admit it, physically stronger. Tends to make things more entertaining.”

“You work out?” Raph asked before taking a drink. 

Rachael looked over at him and flexed. “Have you looked at me? Of course I do.”

“I have weights you can use if you like.” Raphael smiled and let out a soft chuckle. “At least I think I still do. I haven’t used the lighter weights in years.” Rachael let out a snort and punched Raph’s arm which only made Raph laugh harder. “What? You had just admitted that males are physically stronger.”

“Change of subject,” Rachael said, leaning back against the wall. “What’s up with the old tattered doll Donna got the other day?”

Raph let out an exasperated sigh. “I offered her one of the finished ones. She refused, saying that one of the ones April brought would do.”

“Ah,” Rachael nodded. “She’s a dork. She would’ve felt guilty taking one of the nicer ones since you sell them.”

“I offered her one from my collection,” Raph said. “Before you say anything, yes, I keep some of them. I have my reasons…. She didn’t want one of those either.”

Rachael looked at Raph and his body language said it all. “You like her,” she teased and a smirk turned up the side of her mouth. 

“Yeah, well…,” Raph glanced at her before taking another drink. “It’s unrequited.”

Rachael sighed. “Again, she probably felt like you were only offering the doll out of kindness and that she didn’t deserve it.” Rachael chuckled. “She’s a great fighter and she’s super smart. I mean, once she’s comfortable around you she has a quick wit and a sharp tongue. But, she’s insecure and thinks that, because of her weight, she is going to be the one who is settled for.”

“Don’t say anything to her,” Raph requested. “If she’s that way, I don’t want her coming to me because she feels sorry for me. I’ll rethink my approach though.”

“I don’t want to get involved one way or another,” Rachael said, holding up her hands. “This is all going to be a big mess before it turns into a happily ever after.” There was a moment of awkward silence and then Rachael decided to change the subject once again. “So what is this Battle Nexus that Michelangelo keeps going on about?”

“That.” Raph finished off his last beer and added the empty bottle with the others. “The Battle Nexus is an ultimate fighting championship held in the Nexus once every three years.” Before Rachael had the chance to ask another question, Raph held up his finger. “The Nexus is a dimension linking all dimensions, or something like that. To be honest I wasn’t really paying that much attention when they explained it. I just wanted to punch something.”

“When’s the next one?” Rachael wanted to know. “Will we get to go?”

“The next one is in a few months,” Raph answered. “If nothing else, you’ll get to go and watch so you get an idea of what to expect in the one after that.”

“I wanna fight in it,” Rachael argued. 

“It’s not my call.” Raph shrugged. “It will ultimately be up to the Ultimate Daimyo, the head guy in the Nexus. You can argue for your chance when we get there. Until then, we need to train.”

“What are you doing up here?” Leonardo asked, seemingly coming out of nowhere. How the hell did he do that? He was standing so close to them and yet neither of them heard. 

“Drinking,” Raph answered. “And, getting to know each other. We got a lot in common.”

Leo crossed his arms over his chest. “You know we are not supposed to be alone with one of the girls.”

Raph stood. Being up a few steps higher and being taller, Raphael towered over his brother but Leo wasn’t fazed by it in the slightest. “You know damn well that she’s not the one I want,” Raph growled. “Nothing at all was going to happen.”

“Splinter laid out the rules,” Leo snapped back. “We will follow them until he says otherwise.”

“Yeah. He said that we had to stay away ‘til we got our urges under control.” Raph argued. “I’m under control. There wasn’t a single moment where I wanted to fuck her.”

“Thanks,” Rachael quipped, adding her empty bottle to the rest. “That helps to boost my ego.”

Raph looked down at her and smiled. “You are totally fuckable, if all I wanted to do was fuck, but, as we agreed, our personalities would clash.”

With a smile on her face, Rachael rolled her eyes. “Oh that makes it better.”

“This isn’t a joking matter,” Leo chided them. “Why were you up here drinking anyway?”

“To get away from Mikey,” Raph answered as Rachael said at the same time. 

“To get away from Michelle.”

Leo sighed. “Get back down stairs before Master Splinter or Master Sliver catches you up here.”

“We’re done anyway.” Raph leaned down to collect the empty bottles. “I’m going to work on some of those dolls April brought.” He made his way down stairs, leaving Leo and Rachael alone. 

Leo looked up at Rachael and then started to step back, down the stairs. “I guess I should go.”

Rachael smiled and crossed her arms over her plastron. “What? You don’t have control over your urges?”

“I’m just following the rules,” Leo stated and turned to continue down the steps. 

“Oh I get it,” Rachael teased though her tone remained flat. “You’re just like my sister, the perfect little student who always follows the rules. That’s all I need is two of you little goody two shoes.”

“It was hard enough having to put up with just Raphael. Now that we’ve finally worked through most of our differences, I’ve got you. I can’t seem to catch a break.” Leo turned to look at her. “I respect my father enough to follow his rules. They are there for a reason. You and Raph seem to go out of your way to break them.”

Rachael scoffed as she stood up. “We only have to stay away from each other if you can’t control yourself. Raphael and I were fine. There was no chance of anything happening. But you seem tense. Is that why you need to leave, Leo? You can’t control yourself…? Do you wanna fuck me, Leo?”

“That’s enough,” Leo hissed. 

“You wanna bend me over and take me don’t you.” Rachael smiled, challenging him. She had always loved getting a rise out of her sister, pushing her to the edge so to speak. She wondered if she could get the same responses out of Leo as well. “You wanna fuck me, claim me, have me call out your name while you thrust your cock inside of me. Do you really think you’re man enough for me?”

“Stop it,” Leo yelled. “I’m not getting sucked into this.” His chest was heaving as he took as shaky step down the stairs. “You can stay up here if you like, but I’m leaving.” He turned and made his hasty retreat, leaving Rachael alone. 

Rachael scoffed and shook her head. “You’re no fun, Leo,” she called out after him. She took a few steps down the stairs and noticed a wet spot where Leo had been standing. Bending down, Rachael touched it. The slick substance coated her fingers and gave off a musky smell. 

He wasn’t mad. He was struggling to maintain control. What would have happened if he had lost that control? Rachael had to sit down. “Oh shit.”


	35. Seeing Red

This whole thing with the girls was a mess. Mikey’s hormones were on overdrive and Michelle was confusing. There were times when she flirted openly with Mikey. Then, when Mikey moved in a little closer, Michelle would pull away. It was like she was okay with verbal flirts but she didn’t want to be touched. 

Michelangelo wasn’t the only one who was having a hard time. He could see that Leonardo was also upset. He had been for a few days now and had mostly kept to himself. He was tense, like he was expecting something horrible to happen. But, did Mikey dare to ask what was bothering his brother? Did he really want to know?

Mikey was going to leave well enough alone, but Leo was keeping him awake with all of his tossing and turning. It seemed that he didn’t have a choice but to get involved. Groaning, Mikey looked over at his older brother. “What is it?”

“What is what?” Leo mumbled back, shifting once again.

“You’re upset about something,” Mikey said. “Neither of us is going to get much sleep until you get it out of your system.”

Leo heaved a sigh and turned to look at Mikey. “I caught Raph and Rachael sitting, alone, at the top of the stairs the other day.”

Confused, Mikey sat up and looked down at Leo. “I thought Raph said he had no interest in her. What were they doing?”

“They were drinking beer and talking.” Leo was looking up at the ceiling. “They were so comfortable with each other.”

“Do you think he’s moving in on her?” Mikey asked. 

“He insisted that he had no interest in her,” Leo answered, shaking his head. “But who knows. Maybe he’s keeping his options open.” Frustrated, he rubbed his eyes with the heel of his hands. “But that’s not the worst part.”

Mikey waited a moment but soon realized that Leo wasn’t about to say anything more any time soon. “So then, are you going to tell me what the worst part is?”

It was dark but Mikey was sure that Leo was flustered. His jaw was clenched and he kept letting out exasperated sighs. “I became aroused,” Leo finally said through his teeth. “I had trouble controlling myself when Raph left me alone with Rachael. I wanted to pin her up against that wall and take her there. It took all of my control to turn around and walk away. I can’t believe that I let her get to me like that.”

Mikey took a minute to let that sink in. Leo, the master of control, was having a hard time controlling his urges. But that most likely wasn’t what was bothering him. Mikey had a good idea what it could have been. “Do you think she noticed?”

Leo closed his eyes. “I was so aroused that my tail was dripping.”

“Dude,” Mikey couldn’t help but chuckle a little bit in disbelief. “Even I haven’t had it that bad.”

Leo’s hand shot up and swatted Mikey’s arm. “It’s not funny.” Leo’s voice was raw with his mixed emotions. “I’m just waiting for her to crack a joke about it. Use it against me in some way. I can hear her and her sisters laughing at me now.”

Mikey shrugged. “Maybe she won’t.” A smile crept across his beak and he bit his bottom lip. “Maybe she likes the idea that you were aroused around her.”

Leo covered his face with both hands. “Why is this happening? I can’t get her out of my head.”

“You’re the alpha,” Mikey offered. “You have an instinctual need to reproduce. She is a strong female who can provide you with strong children. You have an overwhelming desire to claim her as yours before anyone else does.” He looked down to see that Leo was looking up at him, through parted hands, in disbelief. “What?” Mikey rubbed the back of his head and shrugged. “I watch a lot of Animal Planet.”

“I’m only nineteen,” Leo stated, dropping his hands to his sides. “I don’t need children right now. I would like them one day. But that can wait.”

Mikey lay back down and tucked his arm behind his head. “Reason says that you don’t need children right now but your hormones wanna screw, to dominate. I mean, given the chance, I would totally do Michelle but I don’t want any kids. Like, ever. I almost envy the fact that Raph can’t have any.”

Mikey placed a comforting hand on Leo’s arm. “If she hasn’t said anything by now, she’s not going to say anything at all. Maybe she didn’t notice and you’re worrying over nothing.”

“I hope so,” Leo said. “I don’t need any more stress.”

Mikey couldn’t help but smile as he said, “When you finally do hook up with her, it will be the best stress relief you’ve ever had.”

Leo groaned and rolled over. “Don’t put that image in my mind or I’m going to need the room to myself for a while.”

“That seems to be happening a lot.” Mikey chuckled and closed his eyes. 

Leo let out yet another exasperated sigh but managed to settle down enough for them to sleep. They slept soundly for most of the night. There was only one instance where Leo’s dreams caused him to wake up in a cold sweat. 

Like every night, Mikey was able to calm Leo by gently rubbing his carapace and reassuring him that everything was okay. As he did, he couldn’t help but wonder if Rachael was going to be able to handle this side of Leo. Would she be willing to? If they did end up together, Mikey was going to have to warn her about Leo’s nightmares. 

The next morning, after practice, they received a call from April, informing them that she was on her way with some items for them. Since the items were in large packages she drove her van through the underground tunnels and entered the lair through the garage. Mikey, Leo, and Donny were there to meet her as she pulled in.

It wasn’t uncommon for April to bring them random items. She sometimes managed to find treasure troves in abandoned storage closets or estate sales. If she couldn’t sell them in her store, she would give the items to the guys. 

Mikey and his brothers helped her with the boxes, making sure that she didn’t carry anything that was too heavy. Whatever was in the boxes was big.

The others were on the platform waiting for them. Raph pulled the box Mikey had up on the platform and then helped Mikey up. 

Once they were all up on the platform, April pulled out a pocket knife and started to carefully open one of the boxes. “They’re items from Japan,” she stated. “I don’t know if anyone from around here would want to buy them and I hate trying to sell things on the internet so I figured you guys would want them. Though I think the girls might like them more.”

She opened one of the larger boxes to reveal the kato inside. Pointing to a box of equal size she said, “There is another one in here. The two smaller boxes have those Japanese flutes…, don’t ask me to pronounce it. And, that box over there has some kimono and hair accessories inside it. The shopping bags have some essential grooming items in them. Those I bought specifically for the girls and Sliver.”

“Really?” Leah reached down and picked up one of the smaller boxes. Pulling a small dagger out of her belt, she opened the box and pulled out the shakuhachi. She let the box drop to the floor as she looked at the flute in disbelief. “It’s beautiful.” She then put it to her lips to test the sound. “Thank you,” she said to April as her eyes filled with tears. 

“This is great!” Michelle said as she knelt down to look at the kato. “I never thought I would be so happy to see this stupid instrument.”

“This is very generous of you, Mrs. O’Neil,” Splinter stated. 

Rachael and Donna eagerly went and collected the other two instruments from their boxes while Sliver approached April. “It is and I cannot thank you enough.”

April shrugged it off. “It’s nothing.”

“It’s not nothing,” Donny stated, looking at the instruments. “I looked up what it would cost to get quality instruments like this. These aren’t cheap.” He looked April in the eyes. “Where did you get them again?”

Blowing a raspberry, April tried to wave Donny off. “You know…. I come across things sometimes.”

“It seems somewhat suspicious that you happened to get the exact things that the girls had lost,” Leo stated, crossing his arms over his chest. He then looked at Mikey. “Did you bug April in to finding these?”

Mikey snorted. “No! Where would I get the money to pay for them? Besides, you know I would own this if I was behind it.”

Leo rolled his eyes and then looked at April, crossing his arms over his plastron. “April?” His tone made it very clear that he wanted answers. 

“Why are you grilling me?” April sighed. “I brought you things. I always bring you things.” 

“Yes, but these are specific and expensive things, in perfect condition,” Leo argued. “April, you’ve got a baby on the way. I know you feel bad for the girls but you can’t spend that kind of money on things like this.”

“It wasn’t my money,” April said in frustration then her face showed that she didn’t mean to say it that way. “I mean I didn’t….” She groaned and stomped her foot. “Knock it off okay. It wasn’t a big deal. Just let it go.”

Mikey could see the moment Leo realized what was going on. Narrowing his eyes the leader looked over at Raph. “It was you.”

With his arms crossed over his plastron, Raph glanced at Leo but was unable to keep eye contact with Leo’s piercing glare. “Let it go, Leo,” Raph huffed. 

“You’re the only one with a private savings,” Leo stated. 

Raph dropped his arms to his sides and growled in frustration. “Fine. I gave the money to April, told her what to get, and asked her not to tell anyone.” He wasn’t quite yelling but he was definitely on the loud side. “Ya, happy now?”

“Why?” Michelle asked. “Why didn’t you want us to know that they were from you?”

“Because,” Raph glanced at Donna but then quickly turned his eyes to the wall, “I didn’t want the four of you to think that there was an ulterior motive or that I was trying to win you over. I just wanted you to have something that would help…. I figured it would be easier accepting it if it came from April. I didn’t know my brothers were going to lay into her like that.”

“You’ve really made that much, selling dolls?” Donny asked and then shook his head. “You give me over half of everything you make. That doesn’t add up. You should have a few hundred at best. This would have cost thousands.”

“I melted down a necklace,” Raph admitted. “April sold the stones and gold for the money.”

Mikey couldn’t believe it. Raph with his jewels was like a dragon with his hoard. Nothing and no one could part them. Raph got to keep them because they would be too dangerous to try to sell. There would be too many questions. 

“Speaking of which,” April said as she pulled some money from her pocket. “Here’s what’s left. I was going to give it to you in private but seeing that everyone knows now….”

“Thanks.” Raph accepted the money and tucked it into his belt. 

“You had April sell them?” Leo’s voice was a mix of shock and anger. “We’ve talked about this. That’s too dangerous. What if the one you gave April had been reported as stolen? Do you know the danger you put her in?”

“That’s why I melted down one of the ones I found a long time ago,” Raph argued. 

“If melting them down makes them safe to sell then why don’t we melt them all down,” Mikey suggested. “We would have so much money if we did.”

“No!” Raph snapped at him. He was practically fuming. Like a dragon with his hoard. “Why don’t we sell your comics?”

“Enough,” Leo hissed, defusing the situation before it got out of hand. 

Slowly Michelle turned away from the argument to look up at Sliver. “I know this whole situation looks tense and all but… please let us keep these. They went to a lot of trouble to get them for us. Don’t make April take them back. Please. I won’t complain about having to practice ever again.”

Splinter let out a soft chuckle. “The deed has already been done and no harm has come from it. Since no serious sacrifices were made, perhaps it would be best to simply accept the gifts.”

Sliver looked from Splinter, to each of her daughters and then sighed. “You can keep them” They each looked relieved at their mother’s decision. 

Michelle jumped up and ran over to Raph. “I know you didn’t want the credit but, thank you.” She touched his arm and smiled up at him. 

Mikey’s vision tunneled as a surge of anger took over. The next thing he knew he was charging towards Raph, fists clenched. He managed to land a blow across the left side of Raph’s face, flooring him. 

“What the hell?” Leo yelled, pulling Mikey back. “Have you lost your mind?”

As quickly as the anger overcame him, it was gone. “I’m sorry.” Mikey couldn’t believe what he had done. And, by the looks on everyone’s faces, neither could they. Regret washed over him as he fell to his knees. “I don’t know what came over me. I’m so sorry.”

Raph’s hand covered the spot where Mikey had hit him as he slowly got up from the floor. “This is why I didn’t want anyone to know.” He turned his head to glare at Mikey. “I don’t want Michelle.” His voice was stern but there was still a slight tremble to it. 

“Let me look at it,” Tello offered, slowly reaching for Raph. 

Flinching, Raph pulled away, shaking his head. “I’m fine.” He made his way to the edge of the platform and jumped off. “I’ll be in my work room.”

“I’m sorry,” Mikey whispered again, unable to think of anything else to say.

His eyes were fixed on the ground. He couldn’t bring himself to look up at the others, to see their disappointment in him. He had struck Raph, hard, in the same place that Hun had repeatedly struck him. He felt like the scum of the Earth.

Michelle knelt down in front of him and placed her hand on his shoulder but it didn’t stay there for long. “You don’t need to be jealous of your bothers. I want to be with you too.”

Knuckling the tears from his eyes, Mikey looked up at her kindly face. “You’re not mad?”

Michelle shook her head and shrugged. “I watch enough Animal Planet to understand what you’re going through. I’m sure it’s a very confusing time for you all. I’m surprised there haven’t been more fights.”

“But, if you want me too, why do you keep pulling away from me?” Mikey desperately wanted to know. 

“Oh that.” Michelle titled her head to the side. “I really want to be with you but, right now, I’m just… too miserable.”

“Because you’ve lost everything?” Mikey ventured to guess. “You need time to get over that?”

Michelle shook her head and pointed to her stomach. “It’s the clutch of eggs that’s making me feel this way. I feel so full and weighed down. I have a hard time bending over or breathing and I need to pee all the time. Intimacy is the furthest thing from my mind.”

Mikey felt his mouth drop. “Eggs?”

“We lay eggs every year,” Donna softly explained. “It’s a natural cycle.”

“We don’t like being touched,” Lea added.

“And we’re irritable,” Rachael stated flatly. 

“A few days after they’re out I will totally be open to getting closer,” Michelle said. Then she looked back at her mother and added, “Within reason. Nothing too fast.” She then turned back to Mikey. “It’s just, ‘til then,” she waved her hand in a shewing motion, “don’t touch me.”

Mikey heaved a sigh of relief. “Knowing that helps,” he admitted. “I thought you were still weighing you options.” Looking her in the eyes, he smiled. “I think, once we’re established, I won’t… be seeing red… whenever you talk or touch one of my brothers.”

Michelle smiled and her blue eyes sparkled. “It’s good that we could work all of that out.”


	36. Playing the Melody

Leo’s nightmares were always so vivid. The sound of the Shredder’s voice echoed in his mind. He could feel the bones breaking from blows from the Foot soldiers or the cold of Karai’s blade as it pierced his flesh. He could smell the blood of his father and brothers as it seeped from their wounds. He could feel the heat of the flames and the force of the blast as the ship exploded. 

Every failure relived. Every pain remembered. 

Sometimes they were so real that they would cause him to cry out in his sleep. Michelangelo tried to soothe him, running his hand along Leo’s carapace. It was reassuring and most of the time it worked but for some reason, tonight, Leo couldn’t get himself to calm back down. 

To keep from disturbing Mikey any more, Leo decided to get up for a little while. He headed into the kitchen for a cup of herbal tea and a melatonin tablet. He hated resorting to such things but sometimes it couldn’t be helped. Not when his stress levels were so high. 

When he opened the door to the kitchen Leo was surprised to see Donatello pouring water into a mug. The genius turtle jumped a little, sloshing hot water onto the counter as he turned. “Oh, Leo, you startled me.”

“I wasn’t expecting anyone to be in here,” Leo said as he entered the kitchen. “Is there enough water for two?”

“There was,” Donny chuckled, reaching for the dish towel. “Before I spilt it on the counter.”

“You have what’s left.” Leo headed to the cabinet for a mug. “I’ll warm up some more.”

“So… why are you awake,” Donny ventured to ask. 

Leo shrugged as he filled up the kettle with water. “Bad dream. You?” 

“Same,” Donny stated. He handed the box of assorted herbal teas to Leo. “Do you wanna talk about it?”

“Do you wanna talk about yours?” Leo countered as he selected his tea bag. “Yours had to’ve been bad if you’re drinking tea.”

Donny laughed and leaned back against the counter. “Sometimes my nightmares are about that dystopic future the time scepter sent me too. I can still vividly remember watching the older versions of you guys die.” He took a sip of his tea as he thought. “Deep down I still fear that something will happen to make that future come to pass.”

Leo nodded his understanding as he poured hot water into his mug. “I do understand your fear but Shredder is dead and Karai is… no longer our enemy. That should ease you mind a little.”

“I know.” Donny managed a weak smile. “It does. Those nightmares don’t happen as often as they used to.” Tilting his head he looked Leo in the eye. “Your turn.”

“Ah.” Leo smiled at his brother. “That’s how this is going to play out. Okay.” Taking a deep breath and letting it out slowly, Leo thought about which one of his many nightmares he wanted to talk about. He settled on his oldest one. “I have nightmares of being chased and ambushed. That day the Shredder and the Foot attacked me was my first great failure in life. After seeing what the Purple Dragons had done to Raph….” Leo shook his head in an attempt to clear the mental images. “It just brought all of those memories to the surface.”

Donatello sipped at his tea and thought for a moment. “I have nightmares of becoming that monster again, losing my mind and tearing through our family.”

“Most of the time my dreams are generic,” Leo admitted. “We’re out on a mission and I manage to get you all killed. Though, I do still have nightmares of Karai running me through with her sword as well.”

Donny looked down into his cup of tea. “I have nightmares that I start to fall apart like Stockman did, losing my mind as I disintegrate into nothing.” 

“I have those nightmares too,” Leo stated. “My biggest fear is losing you guys as I stand helpless to prevent it.”

“We’ve been through so much in only a few years.” Donny placed his mug on the counter and walked towards Leo. Not really sure what was happening, Leo placed his mug on the counter. It was a good thing that he had. Donny leaned in and placed his head against Leo’s chest and then wrapped his arms around Leo’s waist. 

Wrapping his arms around Donny, Leo gently returned the embrace. “We have,” he agreed. “But at least we still have each other.”

….

A good morning practice always left Leo feeling accomplished and eased the stress. It soothed his nerves to see his brothers fight so well and take their training seriously. Even Tello had come a long way with his technique, falling in line with the others and holding his own in one-on-one training. 

One day the girls will join them for morning training. But until they lay their eggs, Sliver had given them reprieve. Apparently it was hard for the girls to bend and balance with the added weight. 

Leo headed to the showers with his brothers so they could wash the smell of sweat from their bodies. The large, retrofitted shower accommodated the five of them. They took the opportunity to help each other clean the grime off of their shells and Donny checked any sore muscles. 

Once they were done they had some free time before they had more lessons. Splinter never allowed them to be idle for long. 

Leonardo usually spent his morning free time meditating alone in his room and he didn’t intend for today to be any different. So he made his way down stairs to his room. As he passed the dojo he could hear the sounds of the girls practicing their instruments. 

Pausing on the final step, Leo listened for a moment. The sound was so lovely that he eventually sat down. Meditation could wait.

The songs where ones that he had not heard before. Then again, he wasn’t familiar with classical Japanese music. From what he could tell, like Japanese literature and poetry, the music was uniquely beautiful. 

He closed his eyes so that he could focus entirely on the music. He could almost pick out the girls’ personalities in the way they played their instruments. 

One of the flutes’ melodies was even and precise, leading Leo to believe that it was Leah. The other had a slightly harsher and forced sound to it, giving the impression that it was Rachael. Michelle had to have been the one playing the koto loudly with a slight rush on the notes, while Donna must have been the one playing quietly with a slight hesitation. 

Despite it all, they played well. The song was soothing and haunting at the same time. Leo had always thought that there was something eerie about the sound of the instruments. 

It wasn’t long before Raph joined Leo on the steps to sit and listen. Since the girls were in the dojo, Raph couldn’t work out like he usually did at this time. Not a word was said between them, not even when Sliver had the girls stop to give them instructions. They simply sat in silence and listened. 

Every so often, one of the girls would make a mistake, causing them to have to start over. A few sour notes were allowed to slide from time to time but overall it was harmonious. They were all well practice in their given instrument. Leo was almost jealous. 

After a while the door to the dojo opened and Leah stepped out with her shakuhachi in hand. She looked at the pair sitting on the steps and Leo could swear that she almost blushed. “You were listening to us play?”

“Yep,” Raph answered. 

Leo smiled. “There’s not much else to do down here and we don’t get to hear live music all that often.” His eyes then shifted to the instrument in Leah’s hand. “How do guys play instruments meant for people with ten fingers when you only have six?”

Leah held up her shakuhachi. “This only has four holes on top and one in the back. The instrument’s sound comes from air pressure as much as finger placement. The koto is played with picks on two fingers and the thumb of one hand while the other hand slides the bridges. So that works out for my sisters as well.”

“You guys sounded great,” Leo stated. “Maybe one day you can put on a proper concert for us.”

“Or private ones,” Michelle chimed in as she exited the dojo, giggling as she carried her koto. “Which do you prefer, Leo, the koto or the shakuhachi?”

“I like the sounds of both instruments,” Leo replied, not wanting to fall into her little trap. 

The idea of a private ‘concert’, however, did sound nice. He could picture it in his head, Rachael practicing her shakuhachi while he meditated. Every once and awhile she would hit a sour note and quietly curse. But when she finally found her rhythm, the rich sounds of the wood instrument would aid him in his relaxation. 

“What about you, Raph?” Michelle asked, drawing Leo from his fantasy. 

Raph simply shrugged in response. 

Michelle placed her koto on the ground and crossed her arms over her chest. “Well, I’m taken and Rachael has said that you guys don’t want each other so that leaves Leah or Donna….” A sly smile spread across her face. “Which one do you want to give you a private concert?”

“Knock it off,” Rachael said flatly, heading out of the dojo and smacking Michelle on the back of the head. “Give the guy a break. Unlike you and Mikey the rest of us need some time to decide on who we want. We’re not gonna jump into this blindly. Raph and Leo probably haven’t made their decisions yet.”

“I was only teasing.” Michelle pouted, rubbing the back of her head. Then she added a little louder, “You didn’t have to hit me.”

“What have I said about hitting?” Slivers voice carried from the dojo. 

Rachael winced and then glared at her sister for a moment before turning her head towards the dojo. “But…,” she started but was quickly cut off by her mother. 

“In here now!”

Groaning, Rachael made her way back into the dojo. “I’m irritated because of the eggs and Michelle manages to make it worse any time she talks.”

“You’re sisters manage to control their anger during this time,” Sliver countered. 

Raph chuckled, causing Rachael to shoot him a piercing glare before she entered the dojo. “Come on…,” her usually flat tone took on just a hint of a wine. “It wasn’t that hard. Just a little tap.”

Donna exited the dojo with her koto in hand and looked at Michelle. “Do you want me to check where Rachael hit you? We want to make sure there isn’t any major damage from that devastating blow.” The snarky tone in her soft voice took Leo by surprise. And, judging Raph’s reaction, he wasn’t expecting it either. His look of surprise quickly turned into a smile. 

Donna looked like she was going to say more but Leo and Raph caught her eye. Donna looked over at them and her shyness took over once again. Cheeks flushed, her nerves silenced her. 

Michelle, however, didn’t suffer from shyness. “What’s the matter, Donna? Suddenly at a loss for words? Do you have a crush on one of them?”

“That’s enough,” Leah warned Michelle and crossed her arms over her plastron. “That is, unless you want to find yourself in the dojo with Rachael.”

Michelle threw up her hands. “I’m done.”

“Good,” Leah said. “Now take your instruments back to your rooms then head back into the dojo. We are not done with our lessons.”

“Yes ma’am,” Michelle said sarcastically, heading back to the rooms. 

When they were gone, Leah looked at Leo and Raph. “Sorry about that.”

Raph chuckled. “Do you think we’re any better? We pick on each other all the time. I’ve teased Leo once or twice about you guys.” 

“This was a good sign that you ladies are getting comfortable with us,” Leo added. 

“And we hit Mikey all the time for the things that comes out of his mouth,” Raph concluded. 

“It’s still not something we should do in front of others.” A soft smile graced Leah’s face as she looked at Raph. “I wanted to thank you again. I know you went to a lot of trouble to get these for us.”

Only glancing at Leah, Raph shrugged. “It was worth it. You guys sounded great.”

“Leo’s right, we will have to play for you… guys… all of you…, to thank you properly.” Leah chuckled softly and looked down at her shakuhachi. “This really meant a lot to us.”

Raph nodded his head as he looked up at her. “A concert sounds nice.”

“We’ll arrange something then,” Leah said and then took her leave, waving at them both. “I have to put this away and get back to my lessons.”

“Later then.” Leo waited for her to be out of earshot before nudging Raph. “You don’t think she’s into you…, do you?”

Raph looked at his brother and lifted an eye ridge. “What makes you say that?”

“You don’t think she was maybe flirting a little?” Leo asked and then looked towards the dojo to make sure Rachael was nowhere around. He then leaned in close to Raph and whispered, “What if she’s like me and… you know… wants you?”

Raph shook his head. “No… She was just saying thanks for the instruments…. Nothing more…. They’re just not used to talking to someone outside their family.” He looked up in the direction of the bedrooms. “At least I hope.” He then looked at Leo, worry on his face. “If they are like us in who they want then, with the exception of Mikey and Michelle, we’re all fucked, and not in a good way.”

“That would mean Rachael would want Tello,” Leo stated, groaning slightly. 

“Yeah,” Raph grunted, looking down at his hands. “And Donna is against the idea of being with me.”

Leo leaned back against the railing with a heavy sigh. These girls were both a blessing and a curse. Why couldn’t any of this be easy?


	37. Abandoned

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> I break the 4th wall in this one a little bit.

Donatello brought Tello over to the portal device and turned it on. “I wanted to show you something before I disassembled it. “

Tello looked at Donny in disbelief. “You’re gonna take it apart?” 

Donny looked up at his counterpart and smiled. “I promised Leatherhead that I wouldn’t keep it for long.” He turned back to the control panel and typed in a code. “I’ve studied countless worlds already and it doesn’t seem like it is going to end anytime soon. More worlds show up daily. It’s infinite. I have my notes so if there is ever a need to build it again, I can. But, for now, it is best to be done with it.”

The Plexiglas covered portal came to life and showed what looked like Tello’s old lair. “I found parallel worlds to yours,” Donny explained, “and came to find out that yours was actually an offshoot. This one is the original. There, your counterpart and his family are still together. In fact in most of the parallel offshoots, they are all alive.”

Dropping to his knees, Tello watched the image in the portal of his counterpart family practicing. His world was almost an exact copy, except for his took a turn towards tragedy. Listening to their banter, Tello couldn’t help but smile. “They are still alive on other worlds.” He looked up at Donny. “Thank you.”

Donny nodded back to him and then turned to shut the machine down. “It’s best not to linger on it.”

“I agree,” Tello said as he got back to his feet. “It’s oddly comforting though, knowing that my reality was, in a way, not the real thing.”

“Yeah,” Donny agreed and then chuckled slightly. “An interesting fact, that world, the one yours originated from is an offshoot of Turtle Prime, just like this one was.” He held up his finger before Tello could ask any questions. “I will explain that in a minute. That world looks like it is still developing but there are lines that break off from it to create their own realities. This reality started out as a direct offshoot from Turtle Prime and has its own lines of parallel realities. But then there is a point, after we were visited by our counterparts from another dimension and defeated the Shredder, that our line splinters into several realities and there really is no one true line anymore.” 

Tello’s eyes went wide. “What do you think it means?”

Donny shrugged and shook his head. “I don’t know.”

“It’s kind of like the main story finished and fan fiction took over,” Donna stated from her workstation. Donatello had forgotten that she was there, she had been so quiet. She usually was when she worked. Since her voice was so quiet, Donny had set it up for her to do tech support via text over the internet. 

Leaning back in his chair, Donny looked at Donna. “I never thought of it that way.” 

Donna glanced over at him. “It’s kind of scary thinking of it that way, isn’t it? But who knows how the different worlds are created or why? What’s important is that we are here.”

“How very prolific of you,” Tello quipped. 

“I can be,” Donna replied without looking up from her computer. 

With a smile on his face, Donny got to work dismantling the portal device. He was glad that some good had come out of his creation. His work had saved lives. He looked over his shoulder at Tello and Donna. They were engaged in some polite banter while she helped a customer. 

The three of them had grown close over the past month. They worked together well and when they did occasionally disagree, they managed to work things out without things getting heated. Donny saw his counterparts as siblings and he had a feeling that they saw each other the same way. 

He liked seeing Donna so open and it pained him when he saw her shut down around the others. She was such a sweet girl and like him in many ways. He was sure that his brothers would love her as soon as they really got to know her. 

The only thing she didn’t open up about was who she liked among his brothers. No matter how much he prodded her about it, she would not tell him. But he could tell that she liked one of them. The only thing he did know was that it was either Leo or Raph since Mikey was off the table and she and Tello had no interest in one another. 

The truth will come out eventually. He just hoped that it didn’t result in broken hearts.

It took Donny the better part of the day dismantling the portal device. Once it was gone and put in to storage, it opened the lab up. He hadn’t really realized how much space it had been taking up until then. Maybe he could set up a play area for Snow so he could keep her near when he worked. 

The thought of Snow had Donny longing to hold his daughter. So he sought her out, knowing that where ever she was she would be with Leatherhead. He decided to start in the entertainment room. Leatherhead had set up a small play area for her in there. 

As he made his way up the stairs Donny passed Raph. “Do you think you can take Snow for the night,” Donny asked. 

“I don’t mind,” Raph replied. 

“Good,” Donny said with a smile. 

A knowing grin played across Raph’s lips as he chuckled and shook his head. “That smile on your face pretty much broadcasts what you have planned for tonight.”

“What can I say?” Donny playfully shrugged. “I’m madly in love with him and being with him still excites me.”

Raph chuckled and continued on his way down the stairs. “I’ll take her after dinner so you and your husband can have the rest of the night together.”

“Thank you, Raph,” Donny called down to him before continuing on his way up the stairs. 

When Donny entered the entertainment room he saw Leo sitting on the floor next to Snow, positioning her into a basic kata form. Leatherhead was chuckling nearby, watching them. 

“She’s barely learned to stand,” Donny stated, making his way over to them. “Let her learn how to walk before you start in on the ninja training.”

“It’s never too early to start,” Leo said with a grin on his face. 

Leatherhead laughed and looked up at Donatello. “We’re just playing. I was having her stand and Leonardo decided to come over and see if she could hold a pose.”

“She keeps falling,” Leo stated as a matter of fact. Then he added with a playful grin, “She’s hopeless.”

“She’s not even a year old yet.” Donatello lightly thumped Leo on the head before picking up Snow. “Don’t you have some meditating to do or one of the girls to swoon over?”

“Alright,” Leo said as he rubbed his head and stood. “I’ll go. It’s my turn to make dinner anyway.” He leaned in close to Snow and kissed her round cheek. “I was just kidding about you being hopeless. You’re going to be an amazing fighter one day.”

With that Leo left the small family alone and Leatherhead turned his attention to his partner. “You were in the lab longer than usual.” His tone wasn’t angry or accusing, just a truthful observation. 

“I got tied up in a project,” Donny stated. 

“It wouldn’t happen to be your portal again would it?” Leatherhead asked. 

“It was,” Donny answered truthfully and then smiled. “But, not in the way you think. I dismantled it.”

Leatherhead lifted an eye ridge. “You’ve abandoned your project?”

“Finished it,” Donny corrected. “I took it apart and placed it in storage.” He shrugged and adjusted Snow in his arms. “If there is ever a need for it I can always put it back together. But for now, I am done with it.” A wide grin spread across his face and he felt himself flush. “I’m ready to focus on other things.”

“Oh?” Leatherhead stood and moved closer to Donny. “A new project?”

“You could call it that.” Donny stood on his toes and kissed Leatherhead’s cheek, eliciting a giggle of delight from Snow. “Raph has agreed to watch Snow for us tonight.”

Leatherhead chuckled. “I think I’m going to like this new project.”

As promised, Raphael took Snow as soon as she was done with her dinner. “You’re sleeping with me tonight,” he said as he lifted her from her highchair. Snow smiled at Raph, patting his plastron. 

“She’ll be sleeping in your room,” Donny corrected. “In the pack n’ play. Right, Raph?”

“Sure she will,” Raph replied but he didn’t sound all that sincere. 

Donny inwardly sighed. Raph tended to spoil Snow but it couldn’t be helped. If Donny wanted some time alone with Leatherhead, Raph taking Snow for the night was their only option. Donny was unable to be intimate with Leatherhead if Snow was in the room and if Donny had asked anyone else to take her, Raph would have seen that as a slap in the face. Fortunately Snow knew that she could only get away with such things with Raph. 

There were butterflies in Donny’s stomach as he got ready for bed. Leatherhead was in the shower at the moment so Donny took the opportunity to get a few things ready. 

He had insisted that Tello and Donna call it a night early. They left with knowing smiles on their faces. It seemed that the whole lair knew what he was going to be doing with Leatherhead tonight, at least in part. They didn’t know that they were going to be trying for another baby. 

Leatherhead hadn’t been in the room since that morning so when he entered the lab, his eyes went wide. “Having that contraption out of here really opens the room up.”

“I know,” Donny chuckled. “Now we have room for another crib.”

“Snow will be ready for a toddler bed by the time the second one comes along.” Leatherhead got down on the nest bed and looked up at Donny. “Are you sure you want another one? Now that the girls are here, it’s only a matter of time before there are more children. You don’t have to worry about Snow growing up alone anymore.”

Dropping down on the bed, Donatello pressed in close to his mate. “I want to have at least one more, if we can. I hope this uterus isn’t a onetime deal.”

Leatherhead moved over Don and nuzzled his long snout against his neck. “There is only one way to find out.”

“This is going to be a fun experiment,” Donny said with a slight giggle. 

Leatherhead lifted his head to look down at Donny. “I love you.”

Donatello felt his heart skip a beat. “I love you too,” he whispered back. 

Leatherhead parted Donny’s legs and sat back on his feet between them. His rough, scaly fingers ran along Donny’s thighs. “Now let’s get to work.” Donny laughed as he looked up at his mate. Leatherhead’s eyes were following the movement of Donny’s hand as it moved between his legs. Leatherhead’s fingers were too rough to do the prep work but he got to enjoy watching Donny do it. 

It didn’t take much for Donny to get ready; the pathway leading to the alien uterus was self-lubricating. Leatherhead didn’t need to be aroused to perform; his crocodile penis contained a bone and could be erect at a moment’s notice. But Donny still took his time, putting on a show for his love. Leatherhead tended to enjoy the show more than the sensations. 

Donatello’s penis emerged and he slid his finger down his long shaft then inserted it into his cloaca. Leatherhead watched at Donatello jerked himself off with one hand while he fingered himself with the other. He then leaned down so that he could lick the inside of Donny’s flared tip, drawing a moaning churr from Don. 

“I’m ready,” Donny breathed. Removing his finger from his tail, Donny reached out for Leatherhead’s emerging penis. He gave the solid shaft a few good pumps before lining it up with his entrance. 

Leatherhead thrust inside, the thick ball at his tip stimulating Donny’s inner walls. He didn’t need to stimulate his penis to feel pleasure. The vaginal like entrance produced a sensation that felt amazing. It made Donny regret that they hadn’t used it more. When they usually had sex, Leatherhead would wear a condom and press into the rectal opening, just to be safe. It was enjoyable but nowhere near as good as this. 

It wasn’t long before Donny climaxed. His head pressed hard against the pillow as the sensation coursed through his body. The pulsating of the internal orgasm soon triggered an orgasm in his penis. The back to back orgasms that seemed to be competing for sensory dominance had Donny’s head reeling. 

Seeing that his mate was more than satisfied, Leatherhead allowed himself to finish. He then carefully pulled out and curled up next to Donny. 

“That was great but it happened faster than I wanted it to,” Donny said a little out of breath as he felt his body start to relax. 

“We can go again once you’ve rested,” Leatherhead said with a chuckle. 

“We have all night. I want to make the most of it.” Leaning against Leatherhead, Donny let out a content sigh. “If it’s a boy, I want to name him Pinyo. If we have another girl, I want to name her Amber Rose.”

“I like those names,” Leatherhead replied softly. Donatello barely registered the words before sleep overcame him.


	38. Mother Nature

Donna moaned and leaned over to rest her head on the desk. Looking up from his workstation, Tello asked, “Are you okay?”

Donna clutched her abdomen. “It’s time for me to lay my eggs. I knew it was coming. Michelle started this morning.”

Tello stood up and walked over to Donna. “Do you need any help?”

“No,” Donna answered flatly. “I’ll get up when the pain ebbs and head into the bathroom.” Turning her head she looked up at Tello. “My sisters and I have decided to lay our eggs in the shower room. It will make cleaning up easier.”

Donatello poked his head from around the shelves that served as a room divider. “Do you think I could have one? I’d like to study an unfertilized egg.”

“Sure,” Donna replied. “I’ll bring you one when I’m done.”

“If there is anything we can do to make this process go smoother…,” Tello offered. 

“Thanks,” Donna groaned, “but no.”

“I can sympathize with what you are going through,” Donatello said as he walked around the shelves. “It was painful bringing Snow into this world.”

Donna turned her head so that she was face down on the desk again. “You at least had a baby to hold when it was all said and done. I’m going to have half a dozen dud eggs. I always have six.” 

“Maybe next year they won’t be duds,” Donny teased. 

“I don’t wanna think about it,” Donna moaned. “That’s too many babies to have at once.” She tilted her head enough to rest her chin on the desk. “I think the worst of it is over. I’m going to the shower room now.”

“Do you want me to walk with you?” Tello offered, extending his hand to assist Donna to her feet. “Just in case the pain comes back while you’re walking up the stairs.”

Donna considered him for a moment. “Okay,” she relented, accepting his help up. “Just stay out of the bathroom.” She grabbed the doll that was sitting on her desk and together they made their way out of the lab. 

Tello kept a reassuring hand on Donna’s carapace as they made their way up the stairs. It was slow going but Donna was able to make it without any issues. Tello held the door open for Donna and she quietly thanked him as she walked through. He saw Leah already sitting on the floor, letting the water wash over her. She looked to be in a great deal of discomfort as well. 

She looked up as Donna entered and her eyes locked with Tello’s for a moment. He suddenly felt like an intruder and hastily turned away only to find himself face to face with Rachael. Her eyes narrowed as she looked down at him. “Stay out,” she hissed. 

“I was just making sure Donna made it here okay,” he explained. “I had no intention of going in.”

“That’s sweet of you,” was Rachael’s satirical response as she pushed him out of the way. “Move.”

Tello gladly left at that point, feeling sorry for whoever ended up with Rachael and prayed that it wasn’t him. As he made his way back down the stairs he though back to what Donny had said. There was a chance that some of the eggs will be fertilized next year. That would mean turtle babies. 

He found himself heading towards the dojo. It was something he had been thinking about ever since he first saw the girls. He had to know for sure one way or the other. 

Splinter didn’t say anything as he watched Tello pull the orb down from its shelf. It had been at least a month since Tello had used the orb to talk to his brothers. So using it now wouldn’t be considered too soon. Setting it on the floor in front of him, Tello sat in the lotus position and entered into a trance. 

He felt the orb open up to him and allow him into the spirit realm. He stood alone for only a moment before his brothers joined him. “There are female turtles now,” Tello said, getting strait to the point. “It’s only a matter of time before there are babies. When you told me that you were going to be reborn into this world, did you mean you were going to be reborn as turtles?”

His voice caught in his throat as he looked at his brothers. They stood silent for a moment, probably unsure with how much they could tell him. “I don’t need to know the details,” Tello pleaded. “Just tell me if I’m right?”

With a smile on his face, Leo nodded. “You are correct.”

Tello smiled through his tears. “I’m not gonna have to search for you.” He wiped his eyes and took a few steading breaths. “You said before that you’re not going to be born as brothers.”

“Yeah,” Mikey replied. “We couldn’t burden one set of parents with more than one sick kid. So we all chose a different mother.”

“You chose mothers?” Tello asked. “Do you know who your fathers are going to be?”

“Yes to both,” Raph replied but Leo shushed him. 

“It will be through them that we will be able to live again,” Leo explained. “It’s only after the eggs start to form that we will leave here and go there. There has to be a heartbeat first.”

“That makes sense, I guess” Tello thought for a moment and then remembered something else he wanted to ask. “The April of this world is pregnant with twins. Is one of them April or Casey or maybe Shen?”

“They’re April and Casey,” Leo answered. 

Tello didn’t understand. They were in love. “They chose to be reborn as twins? They can’t be a couple if they’re related.” 

“But they will also never be apart,” Raph argued. 

“Apparently it’s a thing,” Leo added with a shrug. “Lovers who die together will often choose to be reincarnated as twins.”

“But Casey…” Tello looked Leo in the eyes. “He suffered like you guys did.”

Leo nodded and looked away. “He will have some problems.” Holding up his hand before Tello could ask any questions, Leo added, “It will be revealed soon enough. April will need some moral support when she finds out.”

“We’ve told you all we can,” Raph said and then smiled, placing his hand on Tello’s shoulder. “But you can tell us a few things. Like, which of the girls you like.”

Tello chuckled softly as his heart sank. “Who I like…. Does it matter?” Shaking his head, he looked away from his brothers. “I don’t think I’m anyone’s first choice.”

“April really did a number on you. Didn’t she?” Mikey said and then added. “You’re a great guy, Donnie. Any of those girls will be lucky to have you.”

“One of them will end up settling for me.” He didn’t like being so negative but, all things considered it was hard for him to be positive at the moment. “I just hope it’s not Rachael. She scares me.” He then grinned and held up his hands. “Sorry for saying anything negative about the woman who could one day be the mother to one of you guys. Though, I don’t know what any of you would choose her. There are three others to choose.”

Raphael chuckled but didn’t say anything. 

Tello considered his brother for a moment. Could Rachael be the one he had chosen? The desire to ask had the question on the tip of his tongue but he thought better of it. It was best not to know too much. 

“When a relationship actually starts to establish, I’ll let you guys know,” Tello decided to say instead. Clearing his throat he looked at each of his brothers in turn and then asked, “When we all do start to pair off and… um… the inevitable happens, will you tell me then who your chosen mothers are?”

Leo nodded his head. “Once we are conceived we will let you know. As long as you visit us before we have to go.”

“Good,” Tello smiled. “It will give me a chance to prepare your parents to be.” He hugged each of them, noting that in the spirit world they lacked their familiar scent. “I guess I should go.”

Raph gave him a reassuring smile. “We’ll be in your life again soon.”

“Just don’t play favorites,” Leo warned with a teasing smile. 

Feeling a little better than he did when he first came in, Tello nodded and waved to his brothers before pulling himself out of the spirit realm. When he opened his eyes, the first thing he saw was the orb. Tello picked it up as he got to his feet and placed it back on its shelf. 

“Did the visit with your family help?” Splinter asked. 

“It did,” Tello replied with a nod. “Found out a few things.” He debated with himself for a moment and then decided to go ahead and tell Splinter what he knew. He knelt on the floor in front of Splinter. “My brothers, along with other turtles who had died in the multiverse, will be reborn here. To us.”

“I can see how this news would excite you,” Splinter said. “What else have they told you?”

Tello shrugged. “Not much. They can’t give me any details. I guess they fear altering the outcome or something. The spirit realm is a strange place.” Splinter chuckled and nodded in agreement. “They did tell me that my father is going to be reborn as Karai’s child,” Tello continued, “and that Casey and April are going to be reborn as April’s twins.”

“And yet, you still seem a little sad,” Splinter observed. 

“Their deaths scarred most of their souls,” Tello explained. “My father and April, not so much, but the others are deeply scarred, so much so that they will have afflictions in their new lives.”

“I see,” Splinter said thoughtfully. “You feel a level of guilt over this.”

“Yes,” Tello admitted, relieved that Splinter understood. 

“But it is not your fault,” Splinter pointed out. 

“They told me that my being here was what made it possible,” Tello argued. “If it wasn’t for me, April’s children would be… normal.”

Splinter shook his head. “Michelangelo bringing you here is what showed Donatello that passing through the portal was safe and therefore he was able to find the courage to save the girls. Without the girls here there would be no children. You being here might have swayed their decision to where they were to be reborn but they could have made that decision before you were brought here, for other reasons. Maybe they saw this world’s April and Casey as the best to handle whatever afflictions they have.”

Splinter reached out and took both of Tello’s hands into his. “Do not feel guilt over what is to come. You did not choose their fate.”

Letting out a sigh of relief, Tello thanked Splinter and then excused himself from the dojo. As he made his way up the stairs he saw Rachael making her way down. She looked exhausted. After a moment’s hesitation, Tello decided to offer her his help. 

She glared at him for a moment before relenting and accepting his assistance. She leaned heavily on him as they made their way down the stairs. When they arrived at her room, she mumbled her thanks before disappearing through the door. The soft murmur of voices told him that Michelle was already in the room resting. 

He looked up towards the bathroom and wondered how the Leah and Donna were doing or if they were already done. The opportunity to ask Rachael about them was already gone. Knowing better than to enter the bathroom to check, Tello decided to head back to the lab to lose himself in work. 

One day, hopefully in the not too distant future, he will be allowed to sit with and comfort the one whose eggs carry his children and possibly the reincarnation of one of his brothers.


	39. Triangle

Donna woke up alone in her room and continued to lie in bed for a few moments. It wasn’t often that she was able to be alone. She liked to bask in it whenever possible. 

It had been over a week since she and her sisters had laid their eggs. They were all starting to get back to their old selves. On top of that, he pain in Donna’s tail was finally gone. Though she had gotten immediate relief from the fullness, the stretching of her cloaca made laying eggs a painful endeavor. 

Since they were all better, it was time for them to get back to training. 

Leah was probably already in the dojo warming up. Splinter was going to assess where Donna and her sisters were in comparison to the guys. Leah was determined to perform at her best. Donna didn’t worry as much. The guys were older and had more experience. No matter what, they were going to be vastly better than Donna and her sisters. 

Donna was feeling excitement mixed with apprehension. Now that the eggs were out of her system she was in the mindset to appreciate the guys’ godlike bodies. The idea of seeing them all sweaty as they trained was exhilarating. However, they would also be able to see her and that made her nervous. 

Just like Donna and her sisters were sizing up the guys, the guys were sizing up the girls. The only, more or less, established couple was Mikey and Michelle. Donna knew that it was only a matter of time before everyone else started to pair off. But there was the question, was she was going to end up with the one she wanted or was she going to have to settle? There was also the question, if the one she wanted also wanted her or if he was going to have to settle? She didn’t know which one was worse; settling or being settled for.

Tello had told her that one of them was interested in her but didn’t go into details as to who it was. She had a feeling she knew. Raphael. He had made it so painfully obvious when she had asked for the doll. The problem was she wasn’t sure she wanted him, which was why she didn’t accept one of the finished ones. He intimidated her. That and she kind of had her eyes on Leonardo. 

She had to admit that she hadn’t really taken the time to get to know either of them yet. However, to her, Leo seemed to be the better fit. He was calm, quiet, strong, confidant, reserved…, while Raphael was… not. But would Leo want her? If Leo knew Raph wanted her, would he even consider her as an option? Maybe if Donna somehow showed her interest. She covered her face with her hands. She was too shy to do anything like that. This was not going to end well. There was no way she could compete with her sisters. She was going to end up with the one none of them wanted. 

With a heavy sigh, Donna got out of bed and put on her gear. Once she was dressed, she took a long look in the mirror. “You can’t put it off forever.”

She was the last to arrive in the dojo. Here sisters were already warming up. “I thought I was going to have to send one of your sisters to get you.” Sliver sounded annoyed. “Get your bo so we can get started.”

“Yes, Ma’am,” Donna mumbled as she made her way to the weapon rack. 

Leonardo and Splinter were sitting off to the side to observe their practice. Their expressions were stoic as they watched Sliver line Donna and her sisters up for their warmups.

Why was Leonardo there too? Donna let out an exasperated sigh. 

“Don’t be nervous.” Rachael whispered, smirking when she realized that Donna was staring at Leonardo and Splinter. “They’re only judging you right now.” She tisked. “I’m sure, you already have a mark against you for being late.”

“Shut up,” Donna hissed. 

“Enough!” Sliver’s tail whipped out and snapped the two of them across the shins. “Pay attention.”

Michelle chuckled, earning herself a snap on the leg as well. They all remained quiet after that and started with warmup katas before moving to more complex ones. Sliver then had each of them come up individually and ran them through several katas that were specific to their talents and chosen weapons. The whole time, Leonardo and Splinter silently watched, taking it all in. 

Donna pushed their presence out of her mind as best as she could and focused on her movement. She successfully executed every kata her mother called out. By the time she was done, she was winded and covered in sweat. Sliver was pushing each of them hard. She must have been determined to showcase their abilities. 

Next, Sliver paired them off. Michelle and Leah sparred while Donna and Rachael got to rest. Donna kept her eyes on the fight and away from Leonardo. She couldn’t let the fact that he was there get into her head. Why couldn’t it have just been Splinter?

Michelle showed her agility as she moved around while Leah showed her precision. They both showcased their skills quite well but in the end, Leah proved to be the victor and managed to throw Michelle to the mat. 

Next it was Donna and Rachael’s turn to spar. Rachael relied on brute force and close range combat so Donna’s best tactic against that was keeping her at a distance and letting her tire herself out. Donna was graceful in her movements, able to step and spin to avoid Rachael’s blows while landing a few of her own. The fight was going in Donna’s favor. At least it was for a while. 

“They’re watching you,” Rachael said, grinning. “And right now they can see your butt.” The psychological tactic had the desired effect. Donna, glanced over at Leo, second guessed herself and hesitated, allowing Rachael to move in. A solid punch to the gut had Donna doubling over, gasping for breath. “That was too easy,” Rachael whispered in her ear.

“Enough,” Sliver announced, ending the match. With a smirk on her face, Rachael walked over to kneel on the ground next to the others while Donna righted herself. Sliver placed a comforting hand on Donna’s carapace. “What happened? You were doing so well.”

“I got distracted,” Donna softly answered. “I guess I let my nerves get the better of me.”

“You are an excellent fighter, Donna,” Sliver stated with a soft smile. “But you must work on your confidence.” She turned to her daughters. “We are done for today. However, I encourage you to remain in the dojo to observe the boys’ training.” 

“Gladly,” Michelle giggled, earning an elbow to the side from Leah. 

“Silently,” Sliver added.

Leah bowed her head. “Yes mother.”

“The four of you did well,” Splinter stated as he stood. “I am impressed with your level of skill considering that you have never faced real combat. Would you mind of Leonardo took over the majority of their training?” Splinter asked Sliver while Leonardo stood and grabbed his weapons. “I have been planning on handing over full control to him for a while now and they all need to learn to fight as a unit.”

“But you’re our master, mother,” Rachael interrupted. 

Sliver raised her hand to silence Rachael. “I would not mind at all,” she said to Splinter as she moved to sit out of the way. “It would benefit them to learn under a new master.” Donna and her sisters followed their mother and sat off to the side. Donna sat on the end furthest from Sliver, keeping her eyes on Leonardo. He was incredibly handsome. She was going to enjoy watching him train.

It wasn’t long before the others joined them and their lessons began. Splinter stayed off to the side, allowing Leonardo to take charge. Like Sliver had done with the girls, Leonardo started the guys off with simple warmup katas before moving to more advanced sets. After a while, Donatello was excused and he took a seat next to Donna. 

“What’s going on?” she whispered to him. 

Donny smiled and rubbed his stomach. “Leatherhead and I are trying to have another baby. If I am pregnant…. That is still incredibly strange to say…. If I am pregnant, I don’t want to run the risk of harming the developing fetus.”

“Oh.” Donna replied. The idea that Donatello was technically also female was still strange to her. It led her to wonder what other oddities awaited her in the future. “I hope it all goes well for you.”

“Thank you,” Donny said with a smile and then they both turned their attention back to his brothers. 

Donna’s jaw dropped as she watched the guys train. They were by far better fighters than she and her sisters were. How were they not seriously hurting each other? She glanced over at her mother and sisters and by the looks on their faces, they were just as amazed. 

They guys joked and teased as they practiced, razzing on each other whenever one made a mistake. Donatello even joined in every once and a while, earning himself some snide remarks in return. Their jovial banter was a stark contrast to their fighting styles. Donna and her sisters had a lot to learn. 

“I used to have a crush on him too,” Donny whispered to Donna. 

Donna’s face suddenly felt hot. “What?” 

“When I first realized that I was gay I had a huge crush on Leo,” Donny explained. Donna must have made a face because Donny let out a soft chuckle. “You’re not that obvious, but I am good a reading people.”

“You don’t have a crush on him anymore?” Donna wanted to know. 

“Well, now I’m madly in love with Leatherhead.” Donny shook his head. “My crush on Leo faded a little after we started going top side. I got to see a different side of my brothers after that. I still thought Leo was great but I ended up falling in love with Raph.”

“Why?” Donna asked, looking at the guys as they trained. What made Raph so great?

Donny smiled and turned his attention to his brothers. “There is a side of Raph that he tends to hide that conflict forced him to reveal. He started to open up more and we found a connection.”

“I may be your counterpart,” Donna stated, “but I’m not like you. I have no desire to be with someone like Rachael.”

Donny smiled. “We’ll see.”

Donna snorted and turned her full attention back to the guys. Raph had just thrown Mikey to the mat and was helping him up. “I’m looking forward to taking the title from you in a few months.”

“In your dreams,” Mikey replied with a snort. “I beat you last time and I’ll beat you this time.”

“You only won last time because Splinter bowed out and Leo was underhandedly taken out,” Donny chimed in. 

“Big talk coming from someone taken out in the first round,” Mikey teased back. “But I beat Raph fair and square.”

“Ya ain’t gonna smart mouth your way into a victory this time,” Raph stated. “If we meat up in the ring, you’re going down.”

“If… we decide you are ready,” Leo said, sounding almost hesitant. He was probably worried that Raph was going to blow up. Donna knew Rachael would in that situation. She was quick tempered and mean. Raph was most likely the same. 

Raph spun around to face him. “What do you mean?” Donna braced herself for the long tirade. 

“Master Splinter and I have yet to decide on whether or not you are ready,” Leo explained. “You suffered a great trauma and it might still affect you. You’re fine with training but we don’t know how you’re going to react in a real fight.”

“It doesn’t matter,” Raphael argued. “There are safety protocols in place. If I can’t handle the fight then I’m teleported out. I’m not gonna get hurt.” Donna was surprised that Raph wasn’t yelling. Rachael would have been yelling. Instead, Raph’s eye was pleading as he struggled to maintain control. “Leo, I’ve been looking forward to this. I need this. I’ve have so many restrictions on my life and so much has been taken from me. Please don’t take this from me too.”

Leo took in a deep breath and then slowly let it out. He looked over at Splinter and the two of them had a silent conversation. Raph remained quiet while his father and brother came to their decision. “Alright,” Leo gave in. “You can fight in the tournament.”

Raph let out a staggering breath. “Thank you.”

“What Hun did to him changed him,” Donny whispered to himself, keeping his eyes fixed on Raph. He looked on the verge of tears. 

“What exactly happened?” Donna asked, keeping her voice low. 

Donny glanced at her and then looked off to the side in thought. “I will let you read his medical file. It will be easier for you to fully understand.” He turned his head to look directly at her. “Come to think of it, I will eventually need to get medical files started on you and your sisters. Since you have laid your eggs, your hormones and vitals should be back to normal levels. Splinter and Sliver have also asked me to have a sex talk with everyone. So I will need as much information on the four of you as I can get before I can do that.”

“Sounds like fun,” was Donna’s sarcastic reply. “I will help you any way I can.”

“Thanks.” Donny smiled. “This is not going to be easy. And I imagine it will be a little embarrassing.”

Donna felt a nervous flutter in her belly. “I’m not going to have to examine your brothers. Am I?”

Donny shook his head. “No. I’ve done all of that and you can read all you need to know in my files.”

“Oh, good,” Donna said relieved. 

Donny chuckled softly. “You will get to know one of them intimately soon enough.”

“But is he going to be the one that I want?” Donna mumbled, looking up at Leo.


	40. Breaking the Rules

Leonardo spent several hours after practice talking with Splinter and Sliver. He relied heavily on their guidance as he made the transition towards clan leader. He would listen to their council for a long as they were around but ultimately the final decisions will be his. That was a heavy burden to bear.

To add to the stress, their little clan was getting bigger and had a very real chance of continuing to grow. It was no longer just assuming leadership over his brothers. He was going to be responsible for so much more. He was both overjoyed and overwhelmed by it. 

Then there was the stress of training with the girls. Currently, they were a distraction. It was going to be awkward being so close to them. Sweating was going to cause their scent to be stronger. Leo was going to have to be close to them and touch them in order to correct them. He was tempted to have everyone wear clothing during training until everyone got their hormones under control. 

He hated to admit it but Leo had gotten hot and bothered just watching them train. The need to lay claim to the one he wanted before any of his brothers could was crushing. The movement of her body and the sound of her voice drove him crazy. Why was it so hard to control? 

He had been able to work out most of his frustrations during training with his brothers. However, the fact that she was there watching him, judging him made his alpha dominance hammer away at him. He wanted to show that he was the one in charge. He needed to show it. Part of him was willing to hurt his brothers to prove it. Fortunately he had kept that part of himself under control. 

He had managed to suppress his desires while he talked with Splinter and Sliver. Once he had worked out a strategy with them that included the girls in daily training, Leonardo excused himself and headed to his room. He needed to meditate and probably masturbate. It was already turning into a long day and it was only mid-morning. 

“Are we going to be able to fight in the Nexus?” Rachael asked from the stairs, halting Leo’s escape to his room. “I had asked your brothers but they had all said that it was up to you.”

He could do this. He could talk to her without losing control. Taking a deep breath he steadied himself for the conversation he was about to have. If she was anything like Raph, she was not going to like the answer he was about to give. “I don’t know if you are ready.”

“You don’t think we’re good enough?” she shot back, her usual flat tone containing a slight amount of venom. “Why is it your call?”

Leo sighed. “You and your sisters have great potential but you’re inexperienced. Training with the same three people your whole life does not prepare you for a tournament that pits the greatest fighters from across the universe against each other. And I don’t think I can get you ready in the few short months we have left to prepare. It’s my call,” Leo lifted his chin, “because I am the clan leader. My word is final. You can go and observe but you will not fight.”

Rachael stepped down off the stairs and moved to stand directly in front of Leo. She was only inches away. He could feel her breath on his face and it wouldn’t have taken much for him to lean forward to capture her lips. He had to bite the inside of his cheek to keep himself from taking her. 

She was the same height as Leo, her bright green eyes able to look directly into his. “What do I have to do,” she asked softly, barely moving her lips, “to prove myself ready?”

Even though Rachael was in his personal space, Leo stood his ground. He managed to push down his desires and kept eye contact with her. “Donatello wants us to go to the Foot headquarters tomorrow morning to run physicals on you and your sisters.”

Rachael shook her head and shrugged her shoulders. “I’m not following. What does that have to do with this?”

“After he is done,” Leo stated. “We can have a small breakfast and you and your sisters can spar against members of the Foot. If you can hold your own against them then I will consider allowing you to participate in the Nexus Tournament.”

Keeping eye contact, Rachael nodded in agreement. “That seems fair enough.”

“Good.” Leo took a step back. “If there’s nothing more, I have some matters to attend to.”

“There is one more thing I want to know,” Rachael stated, stepping forward. Before Leo could say anything, Rachael leaned in and pressed her lips to his. It fanned the flames of his desire and he felt a rush of lustful need. His tail throbbed, demanding that he take her. As much as he wanted to ravage her mouth, Leo managed to push her back. 

“What are you doing?” The words flew from his mouth as soon as it was free of hers. 

“Testing a theory,” she replied and then tried to move in to continue the kiss. 

His hands gripped her arms, just below the shoulders to keep her back. “What theory?”

Her eyes sparkled as she grinned. “That you wanna fuck me.”

Leo suppressed a churr and his grip tightened. “Why?” he managed to rasp out. What was her plan? Was she trying to play him? Was she going to try to humiliate him? 

“Because I want you to fuck me,” she replied, nipping forward in an attempt to reconnect the kiss. When Leo continued to hold her back, Rachael sighed and stood up straight. “Look, both Leah and Donna want you too. I want to lay claim to you as much as you want to lay claim to me. That is… unless you would prefer one of them.”

Leo managed a slight shake of his head. “I would prefer you.”

“Then let’s go,” Rachael said bluntly. “We can go into your room and fuck. We both want it.”

It took every ounce of his control to keep from pulling her forward into a kiss, from doing exactly what she suggested. He had to look away, break eye contact. Letting her go, he shook his head. “We can’t.”

“Why?” Rachael tilted her head to the side and folded his arms over her plastron. “Because your daddy told you not to? I thought you were the clan leader. How can you be in charge of anything if you continue to do everything he tells you to? Maybe you’re not man enough for me.”

She moved to walk away but Leo grabbed her arm. He held her in place with an iron grip and looked her in the eyes. “This is about more than sex. If we take that step and satisfy our desires then that is it. You would be my mate.” His body shook as he tried to maintain control. “My desire for you is trying to wipe out all rational thought but I can’t rush into this. I need to make sure you are the right one. I am the clan leader. I cannot have a mate who would disrespect me. I need a mate who will support me and be a good mother to our children. If you can’t be that then go.”

He released her arm and her hand came up to cover the spot he had just been holding. Taking a step back, Leo made it clear that she was free to leave. Much to his delight, she stayed. 

“Most of the time you avoid me,” she said. “How are we supposed to get to know each other first when you have a hard time maintaining control around me?” She pointed down between his legs. “You’re so aroused right now, your tail’s dripping.”

“I don’t know,” Leo admitted and he felt his face flush with embarrassment. “I can’t seem to get this out of my system. Every part if me is demanding that I make you mine but I need to know you are the right one before I do that.”

“So this issue right now is that you can’t think straight because you are horny?” Rachael looked off to the side in thought. “Maybe there is a way to get it out of your system without actually having sex.”

Shifting from on foot to the other, Leo looked at the ground. “I’ve tried… handling it myself. It’s not enough.”

“I’m not suggesting that you masturbate,” Rachael said flatly. Leo couldn’t believe how blunt she could be but at the same time that was part of her appeal. Rachael crossed her arms over her plastron. “I’m suggesting that I assist you. There are things we can do besides fucking.” At Leo’s sharp intake of breath, Rachael chuckled. “You gotta thing for foul language.”

“I desire a partner who is vocal. Yes,” Leo admitted. “And blunt.” Every muscle in his body was tense. He looked up at her. “I also like it a little rough.” 

“That’s not a problem.” Rachael smiled. “I like being vocal and I’m a strong girl.” She gestured with her head towards Leo’s room. “You go ahead into your room, I’ll clean up the little mess I caused you to make, and I’ll meet you in there.”

There was a small voice in Leo’s head that told him to tell her no. That he should simply go to his room, lock the door, and work it out himself. But every other fiber of his being was screaming for him to accept her offer. He couldn’t take it anymore. He needed to do something. “Okay,” he gave in.

Leo didn’t give her a chance to say anything more. He turned and headed to his room. His whole body felt like lead. It was numb and on fire at the same time. The inner conflict was still raging. Was this what he truly wanted? It wasn’t too late to change his mind. He walked to the sink to splash water in his face. It did nothing to help him. 

The door opened and Leo turned, expecting Rachael but saw Mikey instead. He could have taken the opportunity to ask for help. All he had to do was confess what was going on and Mikey would step in to stop it. But instead Leo glared at him, “Get out.” 

Mikey’s eyes went wide. “You okay, Leo?” 

“I need the room to myself,” Leo replied. 

Mikey’s expression turned to one of concern. “You’ve needed the room to yourself a lot lately. You’re having a hard time with the girls here. Aren’t you.” 

“Aren’t you?” Leo wanted to know. “I feel the same as I did when Bishop hit us with that spray that ended with me… raping you. I’m afraid that I’m going to do that to one of the girls.”

“They’re affecting me a little but not to that extent. Maybe you should talk to Splinter,” Mikey suggested. 

Leo shook his head. “I can’t. If I can’t work this out on my own, how will he ever see me as ready to take over? How can I take control the clan if I can’t control myself? I’ll handle this.”

“I’m here if you need me,” Mikey offered. 

Leo laughed. “The kind of lascivious help I need is not the kind you can give.” Tears filled his eyes as all humor dropped from his voice. He covered his face in shame. “Just promise that if you ever see me lose control and go after one of the girls, you’ll stop me.”

“I’ll beat the shit out of you if that’s what’s needed,” Mikey promised. “But, I’m sure the girls will be able to fight you off.”

“You weren’t,” Leo said, looking down at the ground. Mikey took a step towards him but Leo held his hand up to stop him. “Please go.”

“Okay,” Mikey said softly, backing out of the room. 

Leo was alone for only a few moments before the door opened once again. This time it was Rachael. She didn’t say anything as she walked into the room and closed the door behind her. 

“There’re things you need to know,” Leo said, keeping his back to her. Rachael remained silent so Leo continued. “I have PTSD. My brothers and I have all been through… a lot and we’ve all been affected but the added burden of being the leader has taken its toll on me. I have nightmares… night terrors.”

He turned to look at her. “Are you strong enough, willing to take on all that I am?”

Rachael sighed. “You’re not worried that I’m not the one you want. You’re worried that I’m not gonna want you.”

“I’m not going to be gentle,” Leo admitted. “I might not be able to stop once I get started. You fight me, I will force it.”

“I’m not gonna want you to stop, I’m gonna be begging you for more.” Rachael smiled. “I want you to pin me to the bed while you slam your cock into me.”

Leo sucked in his breath and held it for a moment before letting it out slowly. “Please don’t talk like that right now. I’m having a hard time holding myself back. I don’t want to hurt you.”

“I don’t think you’ve got it in you,” Rachael stated flatly. “You’re too much of a daddy’s boy. You’ll push me out of the room and jerk off before you let yourself do anything to hurt me.” She moved towards Leo, removing her gear as she made her way across the room. 

“Leah and Donna won’t be able to handle you but I can.” When she reached him, she was naked. “We’re going to end up together. I’m not fertile right now so there is nothing for us to worry about.” She placed her hand on his chest. “So fuck me. Get this out of your system and make me yours. End your suffering.”

With a shaking hand, Leo reached up to cup Rachael’s cheek. He carefully leaned forward and kissed her, their tongues twisted together but Leo continued to hold back. 

Rachael pulled back and looked him in the eyes, her lips pressed together in a thin line. “Is that all you got? That was awful.”

Leonardo pressed in for another kiss. This time he let go and the best way he could describe the feeling was relief. Holding back had been exhausting but now he felt invigorated. His desire increased and he did nothing to restrain it. 

Pressing his plastron against Rachael’s, Leo racked his fingers down her carapace. Rachael hummed into the kiss and wrapped her arms behind Leo’s neck. If someone had walked in at that moment, Leo would have attacked them. He was determined to make her his. 

Leonardo turned and backed Rachael against the wall, pinning her to it. Lifting one of her legs while he widened his stance, Leo brought his tail forward to seek out hers. When their tails touched they twisted together, spreading their combined juices.

Breaking the kiss, Rachael tilted her head back, exposing her neck. “Don’t stop. Fuck me, Leo.” Her usual flat tone was gone, replaced with breathy desire. “Please. I want you.”

With a growl, Leo latched on the Rachael’s neck and started sucking at the pulse point. At the same time he lined up their cloacas and pressed inside. Rachael awarded him with a gasp and a moan. His hand squeezed the back of her thigh, just below her butt as he immersed himself deeper inside. 

“Don’t hold back.” Rachael’s now smoky voice enticed Leo more. He churred and started rock his hips. “More,” she demanded, grabbing hold of his biceps and digging her fingers into the tense muscles. “Is that all you got? I thought you said you were gonna be rough.”

Her words had him increasing his pacing to the point that he was hammering into her. Through the blissful delirium, Leo was able to think clearly enough to remind himself not to leave any marks. He detached his mouth from her neck, instead choosing to lick and nip at the sensitive flesh but no hard sucking. 

Leo churred and staggered in his movements. Rachael grabbed his face and forced him to look into her rapturous green eyes. “Don’t you dare finish before I do. You fuck me until I’m satisfied.”

He needed her praise so he willed himself to last despite the fact that his engorged cock was ready to burst. He released some of the pent up and painful need by smacking her ass. If he was going to suffer until she climaxed then so would she. 

She released his face and he moved his mouth back towards her neck. To keep from biting her he clamped his teeth down on the lip of her carapace. 

“So good,” Rachael whispered and ran her hands delicately along the back of Leo’s head and neck. “Fuck me, Leo. Make me cum. Don’t stop. I’m so close.” She continued to whimper encouragement and praise in his ear slit. He wanted to hear more. 

Leo slapped her ass again and kneaded the taut muscle. Rachael’s tail was so wet that it was leaking and caused a slick sound with each upward thrust. The juices now coated their tails, thighs, and even the fingers on Leo’s hand that was holding her leg up. 

Rachael’s inner walls started to pulsate. “Cum with me,” she whispered the simple command into his ear. 

With a deep groan, Leo released his seed inside her, thrusting as deep as he could go. The excessive amount of fluids flowed from her to drip to the floor. The scent of their combined juices filled the air adding to the rush. He ground against her, lingering in her silky warmth for as long as he could. 

The rush slowly faded and exhaustion set in. Every muscle relaxed, forcing him to drop to his knees. Rachael slid down the wall with him to sit in his lap. They held each other in the blissful calm after the storm. Leonardo couldn’t remember the last time he felt so good. 

“Feel better?” Rachael had resorted back to her usual flat tone. 

Leo nodded, keeping his face pressed against the nook of her neck. His jaw hurt, he was sticky with juices and sweat, and his whole body felt heavy. The best part was that he could think clearly again. “I really needed this.”

“Any time,” Rachael replied.


	41. Advertisement

The musk that was coming from Leonardo was so strong that it was starting to affect Mikey, causing him to be fearful of his older brother. He had never been afraid of his brother before. Doing his best not to show his fear, Mikey instead offered his support. 

Leonardo rejected his help and insisted that Mikey leave. As much as he wanted to help his brother, Mikey was eager to leave the room. He closed the bedroom door, leaving Leo alone.

Mikey would have to make do without the CD he had burned just for today. The lack of music wasn’t going to stop him from going through with his plan. He had worked too long and hard. He didn’t want to wait another day. 

Michelangelo wasn’t as great with his hands as Donny or Raph but he had some skill. He had only needed a little bit of help from Donny with the electrical work but everything else he had done himself. Weeks of patching, sewing, painting, and mending was about to pay off. He was going to advertise his feelings for Michelle the best way he knew how, with pizazz. And, sadly, without music. 

As Mikey made his way to the stairs, he saw Rachael standing by the kitchen entrance. She was just standing there, which was strange, but Mikey didn’t want to waste his time trying to figure her out. He had another girl to impress. 

Taking the stairs two at a time, Mikey raced up to the entertainment room. He walked in to find Michelle sitting on the sofa with Leah. They were watching a movie. From the sound of it, it was a movie they had seen on their world. Michelle was pointing out all the differences while Leah passively listened, occasionally nodding. 

The movie was almost over, so Mikey stood and listened. He loved to listen to Michelle talk. She was so enthusiastic and animated. It brought a smile to Mikey’s face. In his opinion, they were perfect for each other. 

When it finally ended, Mikey walked over and leaned over the back of the sofa. “I have something for you,” he said in sing song to Michelle. 

Her already cheerful face lit up. “You do?”

Mikey nodded. “It’s down in the tunnel.”

Leah cleared her throat. “The two of you are not allowed to be alone.”

“You could come with us,” Michelle suggested hopefully. 

“Sure,” Leah sighed as she got to her feet. “Being a third wheel slash chaperone sounds fun.”

“You’ll like it too,” Mikey promised. “I had Michelle in mind when I made it but it’s a place all of you can use, if you want.”

Mikey led the way down the stairs and onto the platform. They were met by the scent of a particularly strong incense. Leo must have been doing his best to mask his musky scent or block out the girls’, one or the other. 

“That is strong,” Leah commented as they passed the rooms. 

“Leo’s been having a hard time with you girls around,” Mikey explained. “It is driving him crazy. That’s why he’s been spending a lot of time alone in his room, meditating among other things.”

“It’s hard for us to get to know him and for him to get to know us if he spends his free time away from us,” Leah said. 

Mikey sighed as he jumped down off the platform. “He’s upset that he can’t get himself under control and afraid of what he might do.” 

“Why do you think it’s only affecting him this way?” Michelle asked. She accepted Mikey’s offer to help her down. She was perfectly capable of doing it herself but it was a good excuse to have some physical contact. 

Mikey didn’t want to get into any details. The last thing he wanted to do was hint at the fact that he had experienced the way Leo likes to satisfy his sexual desires. The usually self-controlled leader had a tendency towards aggression when it came to sex. It was frightening. 

When Michelle was down on the tracks, Mikey offered to help Leah down. “He was already under a lot of stress to begin with,” Mikey lied. “Now he has to fight the instinct to prove himself the dominate one.” 

As expected, Leah politely refused the help and jumped down on her own. “In my case,” Mikey continued with a shrug. “I’m laid back. I will admit that having you girls around is affecting me… a lot…, just not as bad as it’s affecting Leo.”

“In what way?” Leah wanted to know. 

Mikey thought for a moment before answering. “For starters, I can’t tuck my tail to save my life and I wanna show off. On top of that, I’m a little more aggressive. I mean, I punched Raph. I’ve never been the type to pick a fight before. On the other hand, if Michelle had touched Leo that day…, I would have just sulked in the corner. He’s the alpha and I am terrified of him right now. I wouldn’t challenge him for anything.” 

“Not even for me?” Michelle asked, pouting a little. 

Mikey sighed. He hated to admit it but he nodded. “It’s a good thing that you’re not the one Leo wants.”

“Who does he want?” Leah asked, trying to sound casual but Mikey could tell she was eager to know. 

“I don’t know,” Mikey lied once again. He didn’t know if it was the right choice or not but he didn’t want to be the one to break it to her. “I don’t think he’s made his choice yet. He’s only assured me that he respects that Michelle is the one I want and that he wasn’t considering her.”

Michelle crossed her arms over her chest. “You know we have a say in this too.”

Mikey held up his hands in defense. “I know. I know. My brothers and I know in our heads that we’re not some basic animal. But the natural urges are overwhelming and not something we’ve had to deal with before. It’s gonna take us some time. We’re trying out best. Trust me. I have no desire to rush into sex again.” He regretted it the moment the words came out of his mouth. He groaned. Why did he have a tendency to ramble?

Confusion set in Michelle’s eyes and she stepped back as she scanned Mikey’s face. “Have you had sex before?”

Looking down at the ground in an attempt to hide his shame, Mikey nodded. “I saw an opportunity to experience something I thought I would never get the chance to and took it. It felt great while I was doing it but afterwards I felt… bad.”

“Did you pay for a whore?” Leah asked, flatly. 

Mikey shook his head. “No. I went to a furry convention and hooked up with… two girls there.” 

Leah and Michelle’s mouths dropped open in disbelief. “Two?” Leah asked. “At the same time?”

Mikey once again held up his hands in his defense. “I was sixteen. I went to the convention because I saw it as a place where I could walk around openly for a while. I started talking to a couple of girls and the next thing I knew we were back in their hotel room.”

Mikey let out a heavy sigh and rubbed the space between his eyes. This was not how he had planned the day going. The last thing he wanted to do was talk about his past regrets. “I was at least smart enough to use condoms and took them with me when I left so there was no DNA evidence.

“I did all that before I even knew that there was a possibility of your existence,” Mikey said in his defense. “I thought it was something I wanted but it wasn’t. I felt used and hallow afterwards. I don’t want just sex. I want a meaningful relationship, a companion…, someone to spend the rest of my life with.”

“You guys don’t need me here,” Leah stated and headed back up onto the platform. 

Mikey’s heart sank as he watched Leah climb up and expected Michelle to follow. “You think I messed up.”

Leah shook her head. “You’re a good guy, Mikey. You’ve made your mistakes and I believe that you won’t repeat them. I can trust you with my sister and that you will follow our parents’ rules.” With that she disappeared over the edge. 

Mikey turned to look at Michelle. “Are you disappointed in me?”

Shaking her head, Michelle smiled and took Mikey’s hand. “It’s not like you did it last week. And… to be honest, given the chance, I probably would have done the same thing.” Sliding her bottom lip through her teeth, Michelle looked into Mikey’s eyes. “I don’t want to rush into things either, even though, in my heart, I know you are the one I want.”

A rush of joy lifted Mikey to cloud nine. “I knew I would make the perfect girlfriend.”

Michelle giggled and kissed Mikey on the cheek. She then started pulling him down the tunnel. “Don’t you have something to show me?”

“Yes,” Mikey replied, taking the lead. 

Michelle nudged Mikey as they walked hand in hand. “So you were able to hold your own with two girls?”

“They got what they wanted out of me,” he replied. 

“I’m sorry it didn’t end up being the experience you were hoping for,” Michelle said. 

Mikey shook his head. “I’m not. It opened my eyes to what I really wanted.”

At the end of the tunnel, as far away from the rest of the lair as possible, was a large dark blue tent. It was not a camping tent. It was the kind of tent a merchant would set up at a fair. Mikey had found it at the junk yard. It was most likely damaged in a wind storm and its three walls had needed a lot of patching but it was spacious and fit Mikey’s needs.

Mikey had added a curtain to the front for more privacy. He pulled it aside to allow Michelle inside. The gasp that followed told Mikey that she was impressed. 

“This is amazing!” Michelle headed straight for the refurbished, loveseat sized, wooden swing and sat down. She patted the space next to her. “Join me?”

“That was the plan,” Mikey said, closing the curtain behind him. 

The tent was lit by several strands of white Christmas lights that crisscrossed over the ceiling and were intertwined with artificial ivy to look like the night sky through a canopy of trees. The floor was cushioned by a carpet that Mikey had pieced together to look like cobblestone and grass. It was something he has seen someone do on the internet and fell in love with the idea. A few artificial plants rounded out the effect of being outside. 

Michelle leaned over and placed her head on Mikey’s shoulder. “This is lovely, Mikey.” 

“I wanted to do something nice for our first date.” Mikey wrapped his arm around her and they leaned against each other as they swung back and forth. This was what he had always wanted. Being with Michelle felt right and Mikey felt a since of peace. There was no need to rush into anything. 

“You are so beautiful to me,” he started to sign to her. He didn’t need that CD after all.


	42. Are You Challenging Me?

Today was the day. Leonardo was going to take their female counterparts to the Foot headquarters so that they could prove whether or not they were worthy of fighting in the Nexus Tournament. He hoped that it was all going to go well. He had just started his relationship with Rachael and he didn’t want to fight with her over it. 

Testing the girls wasn’t his only objective. He also planned on seeing how well Raphael fought against someone who wasn’t family. Would he be triggered if a group of men came at him? That was another argument he didn’t want to have. 

Leo had decided that no matter how well they fought today, they would be allowed to fight in the tournament if they wanted. Raphael was right, the Nexus Tournament was safe. There were plenty of safety protocols in place to keep them all from getting hurt. They will all know how well they fight by the end of the day. The decision to participate will be theirs. If they don’t fight well and they still decide to go, that’s on them. Their defeat will happen fast enough. At least they wouldn’t be able to blame him for not giving them a chance. 

Leonardo sat up in bed and looked around the room. His eyes fell on the spot where he had pinned Rachael up against the wall. He was still torn over what he had done. On one hand, it had relieved a great deal of stress. On the other hand, he had gone against his father’s wishes. On top of that, he didn’t really know her. His inability to control himself around her made sure of that. He sighed and hoped his hormones had made the right decision. 

They had been lucky that they were not caught. Everyone else just happened to be doing something else at the time. Rachael had been able to sneak out of Leo’s room and up to the bathroom to take a shower without getting caught. Leo had scrubbed himself and the wall using water from the sink in his room. Then he had burned incense to cover the lingering smell. As far as Leo knew, Mikey didn’t suspect anything. 

“Do you need the room to yourself again?” Mikey mumbled, half awake. 

Leo shook his head. “I’m okay.” He looked down at Mikey and asked, “you?”

Lifting the sheet, Mikey looked down at himself. “Yeah.” Then he added, “If you don’t mind.”

“Not at all,” Leo said as he got up from the bed. “Remember, we’re going to Foot Headquarters today. We are all in desperate need of something different.”

“Yeah, I know,” Mikey grunted as he reached under the bed for his box of toys. “I’ll be ready to go when it’s time to leave.”

Leonardo headed to the kitchen for a light breakfast. The girls had to go in fasting for their health screenings so he wasn’t expecting to find any of them in there. When he entered the kitchen he was surprised to see Donna making herself a cup of tea. 

She was standing at the counter, slowly dipping her teabag into a cup of water while reading what appeared to be a file. She was so engrossed in what she was reading that she didn’t notice when Leo entered. 

Leo was happy to note that he was no longer crazy with a desire to mate. Donna’s scent, thought notably female, was not the scent that he now associated with his mate. It seems that claiming Rachael was all he needed. 

He was about to casually say ‘good morning’ but the words caught in his throat when he noticed the tear on Donna’s cheek. Was she crying because she had found out what had happened yesterday? “Are you okay?” he asked. 

Startled, Donna jumped and turned to look at him. “Oh! Hi… um….” She he kept her eyes diverted and held up the file so he could see it. “Donatello had given me all of your medical files to read. I am currently reading Raphael’s, and I am at the part where he had been attacked by the Purple Dragons. Donatello is very detailed and I have a vivid imagination.”

Relieved, Leo nodded his understanding. “It was hard to see.” He reached into the cupboard to grab the box of Cream of Wheat and then moved over to get a bowl. “A lot changed after that day, for all of us, but especially for Raph. He hasn’t been the same since.”

“PTSD will do that to a person,” Donna stated softly. She removed her tea bag from her cup and threw it in the trash. “According to Donny’s files you all have it just in varying degrees.” She continued to keep her eyes on anything but Leo. She was nervous. Leo knew it was because of her crush. It was important that he did nothing to give her the impression that he was interested. He did not want to lead her on. 

“We’ve been through a lot.” Leonardo placed his filled bowl in the microwave and set it for two minutes. He watched as Donna took a sip of her tea. “I thought you were supposed to be fasting for your exams today. Donny won’t be happy if you mess up his tests.”

“It’s decaf and unsweetened,” Donna replied raising the cup. “I needed something with a little bit of flavor. I’m so hungry.” She looked back down at the file in her hand. “It’s amazing Raph can move at all,” she said before taking a sip. “Donny thinks that the mutation has something to do with it.”

“Possibly,” Leo said. “We’ve all managed to heal remarkably well from serious injuries in the past. Raph was close to death and has come a long way in his recovery. But it doesn’t surprise me. I’ve never known anyone as determined as Raph. I knew that he wasn’t going to let what happened to him hold him back.”

“My sister’s the same way,” Donna stated bitterly, keeping her eyes on the file. “A trait that is admirable but does not make up for the fact that she is thick headed, stubborn, mean, and abusive. I’ve spent my life trying to keep my distance from my sister whenever possible. I’m sorry for anyone who ends up with either of them. I personally don’t like being yelled at or hit on a regular basis.”

Leo shook his head. “Raph will treat whoever he ends up with like a princess. You should see the way he interacts with April or the way he is with Mrs. Morrison. That’s how he will treat his mate.”

“I don’t want to be the one to test that theory,” Donna stated flatly. She was flushed. Leo wasn’t sure if it was simply because he was there or if talking about Raph put Donna on the defensive. Did she know Raph liked her? Leo sighed inwardly. Of course she knew and she was fighting against it. Leo felt bad for his brother. He had been through enough heartbreak. 

The timer on the microwave went off and Leo quickly pulled out his breakfast. “We should all take the time to get to know each other before any decisions are made. We don’t want to rush into anything. Who we think is best suited for us could end up being all wrong.” Leo grabbed as spoon from the utensil drawer and headed for the dining cart. “We leave in an hour.”

“Okay,” Donna mumbled as Leo stepped through the door. 

He was relieved to be out of there and yet he still felt guilty. “You are such a hypocrite,” he mumbled to himself and plopped down into one of the chairs. 

As Leo ate his breakfast he noticed a dirty bowl sitting on the table. Everyone knew that they had to clean up after themselves. So why was this one left here? Grabbing the bowl, Leo inspected the contents. It had held cereal. Judging by the smell he could tell what kind. It was Raph favorite brand. 

Leo closed his eyes and sighed. Raph must have been in here and had overheard his conversation with Donna. The bowl was left on the table because Raph couldn’t bring himself to enter the kitchen after what he had heard. Why did this have to be so hard?

….

It wasn’t long before the whole family was gathering together to head out. This included Splinter, Sliver, Leatherhead, and Snow. Donatello planned on doing a checkup for Snow on top of examining the girls. 

Leonardo led the way through the sewers with his weapons drawn. They had to stay alert. Their enemies knew that they live in the sewers, so even staying underground was no longer safe. Both the Purple Dragons and Bishop possessed technology needed to set up surveillance in the tunnels. And, Leonardo wouldn’t put it past either of them to have men down in the tunnels searching at all hours of the day. 

Leonardo wanted to test the girls’ fighting skills but he preferred it in a controlled environment and not against enemies who intended on killing or capturing them. Fortunately, they were able to make it to Foot Headquarters without incident. 

As they emerged from the sewers they were met by a pair of Foot soldiers and led inside. Donatello, Leatherhead with Snow, Sliver, and the girls were allowed to break off from the group. They headed off towards the lab while the others were led to meet up with Karai. 

She was waiting for them in her office. The usual business atmosphere had given way to softly lighting and a there were a few recently added baby essentials as well. Even Karai seemed a little different. Her face and body were slightly rounder, softer and she wore loose clothing. Leo wouldn’t say that she had lost her edge but she wasn’t as hard as she once was. Motherhood looked good on her. 

Miwa was also in the room, tending to the newborn baby while Karai went over official Foot business with her advisors. They both looked up as the Turtles entered the room. “Hello, Leonardo,” Karai said, moving around her desk to greet them. “You look well. Where are the female turtles you had told me about? I am eager to meet them.”

“They’re with Donatello, in the lab,” Leo answered. “He wanted to get his tests done first before everyone got sidetracked.”

Karai laughed. “That’s understandable.” She gestured over to where Miwa was sitting. “Would you like to meet my son, Takahashi before we get down to business?”

“I would be honored,” Leo nodded. 

“Miwa has been a blessing,” Karai stated and then signaled for Miwa to bring the baby over. “I don’t know what I would do without her.”

As Miwa carried the baby over, Leonardo noticed that Tello inched up to stand next to him. His eyes were fixed on Miwa and the baby and he looked excited to see him. And, judging by the look Miwa gave Tello, she was expecting him to be. 

“Would you like to hold him?” Karai offered. Leonardo started to lift his arms but then realized that she was talking to Tello. “Miwa told me,” Karai explained. “I am honored that your father has chosen me to be his mother in this new life.”

Leonardo stood in shock for a moment. “What?”

“I haven’t told the guys about… that… yet,” Tello replied, his face darkening. “I wasn’t sure how to broach the topic.” He looked down at the bundle in Miwa’s arms and reached out. “I would like to hold him.”

As Miwa relinquished the baby to Tello, Karai explained. “Miwa has informed me that their family will be reincarnated here, on this world and that their father has been reborn as my son.” She leaned in closer to Leo and whispered, “I guess this means that his brothers will be reborn as your children.”

“I would be honored,” Leo replied and looked at Karai. “But hopefully a few more years pass before that happens.” Leo couldn’t say that he was surprised by this revelation. Compared to everything he had experienced in life, this was not the strangest. Of course Tello’s family would seek an opportunity to be born close to him. 

“He has Eczema,” Miwa stated. “The only thing that carried over from his past life trauma.” 

“What do you mean by that,” Leo wanted to know, looking down at the baby. The baby had strong Japanese features despite his mixed heritage. There was a red rash on his fair cheeks and mittens had been put on his hands to keep him from scratching. His eyes looked dark grey and there was a red sheen to his hair when the light hit it just right. So there was a little bit of his father in him as well. 

“As you know, their deaths were traumatic,” Miwa explained. “So much so that it scarred their souls deep enough that it will carry over into their new lives.”

“I was going to tell you,” Tello mumbled, fixing his eyes on the ground. 

Leo looked at Tello and placed a reassuring hand on his shoulder. “I understand why you were afraid to tell us. But knowing that they will come to us with some kind of affliction will not keep us from wanting to have them. Nor will it cause us to blame you or be angry with you in any way.”

“Thank you,” Tello said and managed a slight smile. 

After everyone got a chance to see the baby, Leo sent his brothers to one of the many dojos to warm up. Leo had allowed Tello to stay behind so that he could sit with the baby a little longer while Leo joined Karai and her men to discuss the more recent Purple Dragon activities. 

“I want to get back out there to help you fight them,” Leo stated as he looked over a map of the city that had markers of recent Dragon activity. There were too many that indicated civilian deaths. “Hun has to be stopped.”

“You are always welcome to join us,” Karai stated. 

Leo sighed, “That’s easier said than done. I don’t know if my family will ever be on board with joining the Foot Clan.”

Karai placed her hand on Leo shoulder. “The offer will always be there.”

Since they needed to give Donny time to examine the girls and for the girls to eat, Leonardo spent the next hour offering tactical advice to Karai. He took pride in knowing that she respected him and valued his opinion. At least he was helping in some way. And it felt good. 

As they began to wrap up, their tactical talk turned toward light banter. A sly smile turned up the corner of Karai’s mouth. “Do you already have a preference for one of the female turtles I am about to meet?”

A rush of heat flooded Leo’s face. He was still getting used to having such a familiar relationship with Karai and her men. Shrugging his shoulders, he attempted to play it off as no big deal. “We’re still in the ‘getting to know you’ phase so it’s hard to say one way or another.” Leo hated lying. “It wouldn’t be wise to rush into anything.”

Karai let out a soft chuckle. “Okay.” 

They wrapped up their meeting and headed to the dojo with Miwa and Tello. Karai took over tending to her son while Miwa and Tello got ready to practice. 

Introductions were made as soon as the girls joined them. Leonardo could tell that Karai was sizing the girls up, trying to figure out which one he would be attracted to. From the corner of his eye he could see that Miwa was quietly teasing Tello over the same thing. 

When it was time to start training, Karai with Splinter, Sliver, Donatello, and Leatherhead moved off to the side to observe. Leonardo was once again put in charge of training. However, do to the fact that it had been awhile since he had seen real combat he planned on participating as well. 

First, Leo ran everyone through a series of katas. Then, after about an hour, he indicated for Karai to call in her soldiers. Per Leo’s request, the ten Foot soldiers selected to train with them were a mix of mutants and humans dressed in street clothes. When Raphael saw them he shot Leo a piercing glare. He knew the street clothes made them resemble the Purple Dragons and that it was meant to test him. 

Leo lifted his chin, daring Raph to say something about it. The test was necessary and was needed for more than going to the tournament. Leo needed to know if Raph could be triggered. Would he panic in a fight against men who reminded him of his attackers?

Raphael let out a huff but said nothing. His face was a mask of determination that screamed, ‘How many times do I have to prove myself?’ The silent conversation ended when Raph broke eye contact and moved to stand with the others. 

Leonardo then set the girls up for one on one matches. Michelle went first and was paired with a man wielding a bokken. They all had practice weapons. It was the best way to prevent anyone from getting seriously hurt.

The Foot soldier started out simple, it was what Leonardo had instructed them to do, and Michelle was able to hold her own. But as more time passed the ninja changed his tactics. His skill quickly out matched Michelle’s and it wasn’t long before she was taken down. 

Michelle was on her back, looking up at the ceiling. “I didn’t do too good did I?”

Reaching down to help her up, Leo let out a soft chuckle. “You did well. I am impressed with how long you had lasted.”

“I think, I need more practice,” Michelle said as Leo helped her up. 

“You have the skill,” Leo reassured her. “You just need more experience against opponents you are not familiar with.”

Leah went next and was paired with a Foot soldier who was armed with a bo. Though he had a simple weapon, he was larger than Michelle’s opponent had been. Leah managed to last longer than Michelle had but ultimately she was defeated. 

Then there was Rachael. Leonardo had selected a female Foot soldier who had been mutated into a fox. She was lithe and agile. Her weapon of choice was a pair of blunted bladed gauntlets similar to what Shredder had used. 

Rachael fought with determination and ferocity. She didn’t allow her opponent to start off easy, instead setting the level high from the start. That had been a mistake and Rachael was quickly taken down. 

Leo reached down to help Rachael up but his hand was swatted away. “Happy?” Rachael snarled. 

“No,” Leo answered and stepped back to give Rachael room to stand. He had a feeling that there was going to be a fight about it later. “The last thing I wanted was to make you upset.” He knew better than to press things when she was upset so instead Leo turned to look at Donna. “Your turn.”

“I don’t want to fight in the Nexus,” Donna stated, shaking her head and taking a step back. “You don’t have to test me.”

“I’d still like to gage how well you fight against someone who isn’t family,” Leo said, gesturing for her to step forward.

Donna let out a heavy sigh of resignation and moved into the practice circle. Her opponent, Miwa armed with a bokken. This was as much of a test for Miwa as it was for Donna. Miwa had been locked up for about a year and as a result she was still a little out of practice. 

The two fought well against each other. At first it looked like Miwa had the upper hand but, as Donna focused on the fight, her shyness melted away and she landed a few good blows. She was an impressive fighter and was quick to adapt to Miwa’s fighting style. But as skilled as Donna was, Miwa proved to be slightly better. The match ended with Donna face down on the mat. 

“The four of you did better than I had anticipated,” Leo said as he reached down to help Donna to her feet. Donna shyly accepted then moved over to stand next to her sisters. Rachael was still brooding over her loss. “I want to let you know that I am leaving whether or not you fight in the tournament up to you.”

“I don’t think we’re ready,” Leah replied. 

“This sucks,” Rachael huffed, crossing her arms over her plastron. 

“I will make sure that the four of you are ready for the next one,” Leo promised them. “You will have plenty of opportunities to practice against a diverse set of opponents.”

Michelle held up her hand. “Will we at least be able to go watch you guys? The idea of traveling to another dimension is kind of cool.” 

“Yes,” Leo said with a smile and a nod. “I would like for you all to join us so that you can see what it is like. It will help to better prepare you for the next one.” With that settled it was time to move on. “Raph,” Leo said without looking at him. “Your turn.”

“I knew it,” Raph hissed as he stepped forward. He shouldered Leo as he passed. “Asshole,” he mumbled under his breath, just loud enough for Leo to hear. Drawing out his practice sai, Raphael stood ready for whatever Leo had planned for him. A low growl resonated from deep in Raph’s throat as four Foot soldiers, including one mutant stepped forward. 

“Begin,” Leo ordered. 

The four Foot soldiers attacked and Raph did all he could to defend himself. A fight with the odds of four to one was something that Raph had done many times before. Two years ago, this match would have been common place and Raph would have been victorious. Whenever Leo trained with the Foot he had several soldiers attack him at once. If Raph could not hold his own now, it would prove that he was not up to par. 

The fight lasted longer than all four girls’ matches combined and it didn’t look close to being finished. Raphael had managed to disarm and throw one of the soldiers to the ground, taking his opponents down to three. A sense of relief filled Leo as he watched his brother dominated the match. 

All was going well but then suddenly, Raph let out a fearful cry and pulled back. The Foot soldiers had been warned of this possibility so all activity stopped. 

Leo rushed forward. “What happened?” 

Shaking, Raph backed away. “I saw one of them pull out a dagger.”

“None of them have a dagger, Raph,” Leo assured him. 

“Don’t, Leo.” Raph pointed to one of the Foot soldiers. “I saw a dagger in his hand.” He tensed up and stepped away when Leo got too close. He looked angry enough to strike out at Leo. 

“You’re mistaken,” Leo said, doing his best to keep Raph calm. “Why would one of them pull a dagger on you?”

“They could work for Hun,” Raph offered as an answer. “I wouldn’t be surprised if he had a few men working undercover. Or, just to fuck with me for laughs. I’m sure some of them still hold personal vendettas against us.”

“They are our allies,” Leo insisted. 

“I don’t trust them,” Raph yelled. “And for the life of me I can’t figure out why you do. For fuck’s sake, Leo.” Raph pointed to Karai. “She ran you through with her sword.”

“Karai and I have moved past that,” Leo argued. “If it hadn’t been for her, you would be dead.”

“So you keep reminding me,” Raph said through clinched teeth. Looking down at the ground, Raph took a few steading breaths. “So does this mean I can’t fight in the tournament now?”

“Just like with the girls, whether or not you fight in the tournament is up to you,” Leo stated. “You know your own skills and abilities. However, until you can overcome this, I don’t think you’re ready to go out on patrols and we need to limit your time on the surface. I don’t need you panicking and putting everyone else in danger because a Dragon pulls a knife.”

A tear slid down Raph’s cheek and his grip tightened on his sai as he stared hard at the ground. “Fine. I’m done.” He stormed out of the dojo. 

It was times like these that Leo wished Splinter was still in control of the clan.


	43. Safety First

Rachael took the steps two at a time on her way up to the entertainment room. Today, they were going to have to sit through a lecture on how to have, what Donny was calling, ‘safe sex’. That promised to be fun and awkward. 

As she reached the top of the stairs she heard a squeal of delight followed by a deep, rumbling laugh. Rachael looked towards the entertainment room and saw Donna standing just outside the entrance, looking in. 

Moving up behind her sister, Rachael looked into the room. Raphael was on the floor, playing with Snow. The young mutant was wearing a sparkling purple princess dress with blue and purple fairy wings on her back. She giggled, clutching a similarly dressed Barbie doll to her chest as Raphael roared. “You can never defeat me!”

She smiled as she watched them. She had to admit that it was cute. Raph was a great dad and Rachael was willing to bet that Raph made both the dress and the doll for his daughter. He had skill. They looked better than anything Rachael had seen advertised on television. 

Raphael loomed close to Snow. “I’m gonna get ‘cha.” With a playful squeal, one of Snow’s chubby hands came up and bopped Raph on the snout. Raph fell to the floor, rolling to his back. “My one weakness.”

Snow got up and toddled over to Raph then leaned down to plant a kiss on his beak. Raph grabbed her and lifted her up. “You fell for my trap. Now I’ve got you.” He brought her down to his chest, wrapped his arms around her and started to kiss her neck. 

Snow squealed and giggled, kicking her legs in a playful attempt to break free of Raph’s grip. “Dop it, daddy! Dop it!”

“He’s great with her,” Donny said, causing Rachael and Donna to start and turn around. How did he get so close without them knowing? 

There was a huge smile on his face as he walked past them. “Any one of you would be lucky to have him for a partner.” Then his smile dropped, replaced with a frown as he took in the scene. “Is that another new dress and doll?” He stormed into the room and looked down at Raph. 

“What?” Raph replied with a grin. “What good is having a child if you can’t spoil them every once and a while. Besides, who else am I gonna lavish with gifts? I’ve got all this stuff and no one to give it to.”

With a soft sigh, Donny reached down and picked up Snow. “You will have a girlfriend soon enough.”

“Yeah sure,” Raph mumbled as he got to his feet. 

Heavy footfalls coming up behind them let Rachael know that Leatherhead was approaching. “Hello, ladies,” Leatherhead said to Donna and Rachael as he passed them to get into the entertainment room. Rachael and Donna mumbled their replies. Rachael couldn’t get over how big he was. How was Donny able to walk after being with him? 

He headed straight for Donatello to retrieve his Snow. “I see that your daddy has given you some new toys.”

“Papa,” Snow giggled, reaching out for Leatherhead to take her. 

“You get to play with me for a while,” Leatherhead cooed softly to Snow. “Mama has to talk about adult things with everyone else.”

Donny chuckled. “You’re gonna miss all the fun.”

“I’ll survive,” Leatherhead quipped back. 

Rachael leaned against the wall and couldn’t help but smile. They had such a warm, loving relationship. She could see the admiration they had for one another in their eyes. She wanted that, to be able to say, ‘I love you,’ without saying anything at all, especially since the usually hated all that mushy stuff. 

“Time to go in,” Leonardo said from behind Rachael, causing both her and Donna to jump. Like Donny, his approach had been silent. How do the guys do that? He was able to get right behind Rachael without her knowing. He was going to have to teach her how he did that. 

It wasn’t long before the others joined them and they all found a place to sit or stand. This included Sliver and Splinter, who chose to stay in the back and out of the way. Rachael supposed it was because they wanted to make sure that the lesson stayed on point but didn’t want to make things too awkward. Talking about sex around her mother was not Rachael’s idea of fun. 

Rachael and her sisters occupied the large sofa, Tello sat in the arm chair, Mikey and Leo pulled up two desk chairs and Raph stood behind the sofa. Donatello stood in front of them and turned on the television. He then placed a disk into the DVD player and a power point presentation came up on the screen. Rachael had to stifle a groan. 

“Oh come on, Donny,” Mikey complained, expressing Rachael’s exact feelings. “Is this really necessary? Sex is a pretty basic thing. It’s not hard to figure out.”

Donny let out a soft chuckle. “You’re right, Mikey, it’s not that hard to figure out what goes where. But I’m not here to teach you how to have sex. I’m going to teach you how to have better and safer sex.

“Having some knowledge about what to expect will be beneficial for all of you,” Donny explained. “Our anatomy can be… a bit shocking if they don’t know what to expect. And…,” Donny smiled, “there are a few things that I have to tell you about the girl’s anatomy that will help you to… uh…,” he looked back remembering that Splinter and Sliver were in the room, “be responsible.”

“Oh.” Mikey grinned and leaned back in his seat, understanding what Donny was going to say. “Then bring on the knowledge. I would love to learn how to be responsible.”

Donatello was very thorough in his lesson with detailed sketches on anatomy. He started with images of a turtle penis. And he was right, it was shocking. Despite the fact that she and Leo had sex, she did not see his penis. 

“How does that thing fit?” Rachael blurted out, amazed that she hadn’t felt it smashing against her lungs. “Is there a void inside of us?”

“There’s room,” Donny chuckled. 

“Don’t interrupt,” Donna hissed. 

“Hoping for some good pointers,” Rachael teased back, eliciting a deep blush from her sister. “You’re gonna need them. You….”

“Enough,” Leah warned them, cutting off the rest of Rachael’s insult. Then she added in a whisper, “Mother is standing behind us.”

Rachael scoffed, crossed her arms and slouched back on the sofa. This was pointless and boring. Rachael looked at the drawing of a penis and tried to imagine what one would look like in real life, particularly Leo’s. She fantasized what she would do with it, picturing herself running her fingers along the shaft and licking the tip to have a taste. 

She could see Leo lying on his bed, looking up at her. She would take her time, making sure he was pushed to his limit so that he would he rough with her again. 

“What do you mean they can store sperm?”

Leo’s voice snapped Rachael out of her daydream. She looked at the television to see that Donatello had moved on to the female anatomy. Donatello’s eyes were wide, surprised by Leo’s outburst. “It’s only a theory,” Donny said. “There are species of turtle that store sperm for up to two years, so it’s possible….”

“Two years?” Rachael blurted out and the room fell silent. Everyone was looking at either her or Leo in confusion. Racheal’s cheeks got hot as the beginning stages of panic started to set in. Did they suspect?

“Oh shit. This is rich.” From his spot behind the sofa, Raph started to laugh. “Fearless fucked up. The perfect son did something wrong.” He looked at Leo and shook his head as his anger set in. “You didn’t finally get yourself under control, you gave in. It was easy for you to do since you had your pick.”

“That’s enough, Raphael,” Splinter stepped in. 

Raph spun around to face his father, clenching his jaw in anger. It was obvious that he wanted to say more but, out of respect for his father, kept quiet. 

Splinter reached down and grabbed ahold of one of Raph’s clenched fists. It was a silent gesture of comfort that managed to calm Raphael down enough. “I’m going to my room.” Raph pulled his hand way from Splinter and turned to leave. “This shit’s pointless for me to know anyway.”

Splinter watched in silence as Raphael left and then he turned to Leonardo. “Was he correct in his assumptions?”

“Yes,” Leo answered, without looking at his father. His body was stiff and there was pain in his voice when he said that single word. 

“Come,” Splinter commanded and headed out of the room. 

Despite the torrent of emotions that he had to have been feeling, Leonardo didn’t hesitate to get up and follow Splinter. He was an obedient son. 

Rachael sat still, her heart hammering in her chest as she waited for her mother to say something. Out of the corner of her eye she could see the looks on her sisters’ faces. There was a mixture of heartbreak, disappointment, shock, and anger. This was not how she wanted to let everyone know that they were together. 

“You as well,” Sliver said tartly and followed Leo out the door. Unlike Leo, Rachael was hesitant to get to her feet. She must have taken too long because Sliver paused at the entry way, and turned. “Now!”

Her mother’s anger helped to motivate Rachael up off the sofa. She wasn’t looking forward to the lecture she was about to receive but she knew better than to make it worse by dragging her feet. 

The four of them walked down to the dojo in silence. As soon as they entered the room Leonardo, keeping his eyes fixed on the ground, headed straight for the center and kneeled. 

Rachael’s stomach was in knots and her head was spinning as she made her way over to kneel next to Leo. Was he mad at her? Tentatively reaching over for his hand, she was relieved when he turned his hand over to hold hers. Whatever happened now, at they were together in this. 

“Out of all of you…,” Splinter started, ending with a sigh. “I had expected better of you, Leonardo.”

“I know,” Leonardo mumbled. “I am sorry. There is not excusing it. I could not get control of my basic instinct. I needed to stake my claim.”

“Do you love her,” Sliver asked. 

Glancing over, Leonardo squeezed Rachael’s hand. He took a few steading breaths and then looked up at Splinter and Sliver. “I feel that she is the best option for my partner and, one day, the mother of my children. But, in all honesty, I cannot say yet that I love her yet. Though I care for her, it is all still too new. In time, I’m sure that bond of love will form.”

Sliver turned her attention to Rachael. “Do you love him?”

“I don’t know,” Rachael answered honestly, shrugging her shoulders. “I know that I’m attracted to him. I know that both Leah and Donny wanted him so I needed to make a move. When I went to him, I wasn’t planning on… it happening. But I could see that he was struggling and I did end up antagonizing him. I guess I took it too far.”

“There is no turning back from this,” Splinter stated. “The two of you barely know each other. If this does not work, you two cannot simply go your separate ways and hope to find another.”

“We will make this work,” Leo assured him. “You have my word.”

Splinter and Sliver exchanged looks and then moved off, out of earshot to have a whispered discussion. Leonardo watched them for a moment before turning to Rachael. “I don’t regret it,” he whispered. 

Rachael smirked at him. “If I’m gonna be stuck with someone, I’m glad it’s you. Your crazy matches my crazy. No one else would be able to handle us.” She looked over at their parents. “I wonder what they are talking about.”

“What they’re going to do to us,” Leo replied. “Most likely.”

“Well, they’re not going to tell us to stay away from each other. That’s not possible. I’m probably gonna be stuck with extra training or something like that,” Rachael said and then elbowed Leo. “That wouldn’t be much of a punishment for you though, would it.”

Leo chuckled and shook his head. “My punishments are more along the lines of more chores. Like cooking and cleaning.”

The pair went silent when they saw that their parents were coming back over. They remained kneeling on the ground, holding hands as they waited for their parent’s verdict. “Seeing that Michelangelo and Michelle have established themselves as a couple,” Sliver began, “Splinter and I have agreed to allow Rachael to move into your room and Michelangelo to move in with Michelle. But keep in mind that if they are not ready then you will have to wait.”

Rachael looked up at them in confusion. “You’re not gonna punish us?”

“We are both disappointed, but what can we do? The consequences of your actions will come later,” Splinter stated. “If you do not end up with children then you can count yourselves lucky.”

“If you do have children, they will be yours to raise,” Sliver said, leaving no room for argument. “We will assist you, when needed, but they will be your responsibility.” 

Leo bowed his head. “Yes, ma’am.”

“Just in case,” Splinter said. “Use the condoms Donatello has provided from now on.”

“We will.” Rachael nodded.

“Go,” Sliver dismissed them, waving her hand. 

Without letting go of one another’s hands, Leo and Rachael stood, bowed, and left the dojo. They made their way back to the entertainment room in hopes of finding Mikey and Michelle. Rachael’s heart was still hammering in her chest but, this time it was more from excitement than fear.


	44. Tears

“Well,” Donny sighed as he watched Leo and Rachael follow their parents out of the room. “I guess that ends the lesson for today.” He grabbed a box and handed it to Mikey. “Here are some condoms. You can come to me when you start to get low. I’m going back to my lab.” With that he collected the rest of his things and left the room. 

Tears stung Leah’s eyes as she sat in stunned silence for a moment while it all sank in. Leonardo and Rachael had admitted to having sex. There was no coming back from that. Not in this small group. They were an item. Now the only one left for her was Raphael. 

Leaning forward she cradled her head in her hands. He wasn’t so bad. He seemed nice enough. He wasn’t her first choice, or even her second choice, but in time she could grow to love him, learn to work around his stubbornness and anger. She was sure of it. 

Leah was pulled from her thoughts by the sound of Donna crying. She looked over to see her sister holding her stomach as she sobbed uncontrollably.

Leah reached out and placed her hand on Donna’s shell. “Donna?”

“Why did he choose her?” Donna sobbed. “She’s such a bitch. He’s too good for her.”

A little taken aback, Leah leaned down in an attempt to look Donna in the face. “I don’t understand why you’re so upset.”

“Because she had a crush on Leo,” Michelle informed her, rolling her eyes. “I mean it was totally obvious.”

Surprised, Leah looked up, past Donna, at Michelle. “It wasn’t to me. I thought Donna was with Tello. I mean, they spend so much time together.”

“No,” Donna and Tello said together. 

“We’re more like brother and sister,” Tello clarified, steepling his large fingers together. “The reason we are together all the time is because of the work we do with Donny. We get along and work well together but there’s no attraction beyond friendship.”

“And besides that, he likes you,” Donna said tartly as she stood up. With tears streaking down her cheeks, Donna rushed from the room. “I’m going to my room.”

“Oh,” Leah managed to say softly, feeling a little relieved and awkward at the same time. On one hand, her sister was hurting. On the other, Tello was available. The only reason she had been considering Leo was because she thought her choices were between Leo and Raph. Tello was actually preferable over the two of them. 

“We’ll leave you alone to talk,” Mikey said, grabbing Michelle’s hand. He pulled her off the sofa and out of the room before anyone had a chance to object. 

Once they were alone, Leah looked up at Tello. She could see that he was flushed with embarrassment as he fidgeted in his seat. “She wasn’t supposed to tell you that,” he mumbled, looking down at his hands. 

“Why didn’t you tell me?” Leah asked, scooting closer to Tello. 

Unable to look up at her, Tello shrugged. “The last time I had a crush on a girl, I over did it, came on strong. She knew how I felt but never flat out told me ‘no’. I tried to let her go once but she kissed me and made me think I had a chance, reeling me back in. But she ended up choosing another guy.” Leah reached out and placed her hand over his but he pulled it away and stood up. “I can’t go through that again.”

“I won’t do that to you,” Leah insisted. 

“You wanted Leo.” Tello said, his voice brittle with emotion. “The only reason you’re coming after me is because, like Donna, you don’t want Raph and I’m all that’s left. I’m the one you’re willing to settle for.”

“I was willing to settle for Leo because I thought you were with Donna,” Leah argued standing to move in front of him. “If I had known you were available, I never would have considered him.”

Tello looked up at her with a look of disbelief in his eyes. “You would choose me, over Leo?”

“Yes,” Leah replied softly, bringing her hand up to caress his cheek. “I prefer you.”

Tello looked down again and barely managed to whisper, “It’s hard to believe you.”

“She really hurt you,” Leah said softly as she brushed away a tear with her thumb. Leaning in, she gently placed her forehead against his. “We can take this slow. I’m not going anywhere.”

The moment was broken by an anguished cry that echoed throughout the lair. “Guys!” It was April and she sounded upset. 

Leah and Tello rushed out of the entertainment room and down the stairs in time to see Raph emerge from his craft room. April was standing down on the tracks and ran to him the moment she saw him. Casey was also there with a look of distress on his face. 

Raphael held their pregnant friend as she cried, gently rubbing her back in an attempt to soothe her. Everyone else eventually made their way down to either stand on the platform or down on the tracks, waiting to hear what had their friend so upset. 

“Whatever it is,” Raph soothed, “we’ll work through it.” He looked up at Casey and silently asked what was going on. 

Casey looked down at the large envelope he was holding. “We had a routine checkup today, a sonogram, to find out the gender of the babies. They discovered something….”

Donatello climbed down onto the tracks and approached Casey. “Is that the sonogram?” With a slight nod, Casey handed the envelope over to Donny. After a quick scan over the contents, Donny looked up. “I see.” He walked over to April and placed a comforting had on her back. “It will be alright, April. Medical science has come a long way. Most of this can be corrected. He might not be able to play sports but he can lead a full and productive life.”

“What did I do wrong?” April sobbed, curling in tighter against Raph. “Why is this happening?”

Tello left Leah’s side, hopped down off the platform and headed straight for Donny. Holding his hand out Tello silently asked to see the sonogram. As he looked over the image, Tello dropped to his knees. “I’m so sorry, April. This is my fault.”

April looked over her shoulder and choked out, “What?”

“It’s because of me that your baby is this way,” Tello said somberly. “If I wasn’t here, your baby would be normal. They wouldn’t have come here if I wasn’t here.”

Leo stepped up to the platform edge. “Does this have to do with what you said at the Foot headquarters the other day, about how your friends and family will be reborn here?” 

Without looking up, Tello nodded his head. “The Casey and April from my world have chosen to be reborn to April and Casey.”

Rubbing her eyes, April pulled away from Raph and turned to look at Tello. “I don’t understand. What does that have to do with what is wrong with my baby?”

Tello glanced up at her but could not maintain eye contact so he looked down at the sonogram again. “April died quickly so, for her there was little trauma. But, Casey…. He… he was crushed, surviving for a few days before succumbing to his injuries. That trauma has carried over into this life, as a deformity.”

While Tello spoke, April made her way over to stand next to him. “So you’re saying that the reason there are problems with my baby is because he is reincarnated from your Casey and the way he died affects him now?”

Holding back a sob, Tello nodded. “I’m sorry. They did this so that they could be close to me.”

“Then I didn’t do anything wrong,” April said, as a new flood of tears filled her eyes. “That’s a relief.”

Tello’s eyes went wide and he looked up at April. “You’re not mad?”

April shook her head and wrapped her arms around her belly. “No. I was afraid that I had done something wrong to cause it. Knowing the truth takes a heavy burden off my shoulders.” She reached down and cupped Tello’s face with both of her hands. “Thank you. We’ll do everything we can to make sure that this life is a good one.”

Leah made her way down onto the tracks and knelt down next to Tello. “What’s wrong with the baby?” Tello showed her the sonogram but she shrugged. “I don’t know what I’m supposed to see in that.”

“I couldn’t see it either,” Casey stated. “I don’t know how anyone can see anything in that mess. All I know is what the doctors told me. And we ended up spending the day talking to a lot of them.”

“Here,” Tello pointed to the image. “This is the spine. See how it’s not straight?” When Leah nodded, Tello pointed to another part. “This is his leg.” He then pointed to another part. “This is the leg of the other baby. See how they are different?”

Leah looked closely at the image. “This one isn’t as long and kind of looks twisted.”

Tello nodded. “They’re not developing properly.” He placed the sonograms back into the envelope and handed it up to April. “This development makes sense, since the lower half of Casey had been crushed.” He got to his feet and reluctantly looked April in the eyes. “I am sorry.”

“It’s oaky,” April reassured him while wiping the remainder of her tears from her cheeks. 

“Your friends couldn’t have chosen a better person to be their mom,” Raph stated, draping an arm over April’s shoulders. “She’ll take good care of them. It’s just a shame that it means they get stuck with Casey as their dad.”

“Hey,” Casey said in protest while the others chuckled, the tension in the air alleviated. 

April leaned into Raphael for a sideways hug. “Thank you.”

“You’ve got three of the smartest minds in the world down here,” Raph said as a matter of fact. “There ain’t nothin’ wrong with that baby that they won’t be able to help him with.” He then turned his attention to Tello. “And you stop apologizing for your friends and family choosing to be born here. They’re gonna be in good hands when they get here. My brothers will be good dads to them.”

“This is the first I’m hearing about this,” Donny interrupted. He turned to Tello. “Does this mean that my baby will be someone you knew? Do I have to prepare myself for complications?”

Tello shook his head. “The last time I spoke with my brothers, they told me that Slash will be reincarnated as your child. He died quickly. There shouldn’t be any problems.”

“We don’t have a Slash in this world,” Donny said. 

Tello looked off in the distance as he thought and a small smile turned up the edges of his mouth. “He was originally Raph’s pet turtle that got mutated. Let’s just say that being reborn as a mix between a crocodile and a turtle will suit him well.”

This was the first time Leah and her sisters were hearing about it as well. “Does this mean that the children my sisters and I have with you and the others will have problems?”

“One of my brothers will be born to each of us,” Tello said, nodding his head. “That way none of us are burdened with all three disabled children. I don’t know about the rest of the children we all could potentially have. There are other Turtles, from other dimensions, who are waiting to be reborn in this world. We are their only chance at a new life. They can either be reborn to us or move on. But, there’s no rush. They are willing to wait for us to be ready.”

“Or over eager,” Raph quipped, grinning up at Leo who simply narrowed his eyes in response. “I guess some will be here a little sooner than others.” Raph continued, unfazed by Leo’s look. “It all depends on how responsible the rest of you are.”

“Fuck you, Raph,” Rachael shouted down at him from her spot next to Leo. 

“Rachael,” Sliver scolded. 

“Sorry, mother,” Rachael replied. 

“I would love to,” Raph shouted back in a broken voice. “And I can as much as I want without consequence. But none of your sisters want me.” 

He turned to go back into his craft room but April grabbed his hand, stopping him. “Do you need to talk?”

“I’m fine,” Raph choked out. “This feeling’s nothing new. I’ve dealt with it before and I’ll deal with it again.” Slipping his hand free of her grip, Raph entered his sanctuary and closed the door.


	45. Kick to the Head

Mikey could not believe what he was hearing. After April had left, comforted by her friends and the knowledge that what was wrong with her baby was not her fault, Leonardo, along with Rachael, pulled Mikey and Michelle aside. 

“Splinter and Sliver have given their permission for Rachael to move in with me,” Leo told them in a whisper. “But, for that to happen, Mikey, you have to agree to move in with Michelle.”

“So you guys break the rules and you’re rewarded for it?” Mikey exclaimed in a loud whisper. “You get away with everything, Leo.” 

“I do not,” Leo hissed back. “You sound like Raph.” 

Mikey snorted in response. 

“We’re in trouble,” Leo informed him, “and you know how much I hate having Splinter disappointed in me. What other choice did they have? They know that attempting to keep us apart would be pointless. On top of that, there is a good possibility that we will have children. So… we need to be together. Besides, what are you complaining about?” Leo waved his hand in frustration. “You benefit from this.”

Mikey crossed his arms over his plastron and glared at Leo. “I’m not ready. Unlike you, I wanted to take things slow with Michelle. We haven’t even kissed yet.” Mikey’s anger over the situation faded as something dawned on him. Before Leo could react, Mikey held up his hand and asked, “Do you think Rachael is ready to share a room with you?”

Rachael looked at Mikey in confusion, lifting an eye ridge. “What’s that supposed to mean?”

Leo looked away, suddenly finding the floor interesting. He tried to speak but no words came out. There was no doubt that Leo knew what Michelangelo was talking about. 

Mikey felt sorry for Rachael. She committed herself to a man she only knew on the surface. There was so much more to Leo; a hidden darker side. ‘I’m sure Leo’s terrified that Rachael will come to regret it,’ Mikey thought to himself.

He knew firsthand how rough Leo could be. Considering how much Leo had been worked up, Mikey was fairly certain that Leo had been rough with her during sex. So it was likely she had experienced that part of him and accepted it. Leo probably wasn’t as bad as he had been with Mikey since Rachael was a willing participant. But, did she know that it wasn’t going to be a onetime thing? 

Add to that Leo’s night terrors and that he was under a great deal of stress keeping the family safe. There were times that Raph’s temper was nothing compared to Leo’s. It was a lot to take on in a short period of time. She needed time to prepare. 

“I had this plan in my head,” Mikey said, leaning down a little in an attempt to get Leo to look at him again. It worked. Leo lifted his head and fixed his eyes on Mikey. “First I was gonna encourage you to tell her about everything. Then I was gonna explain things to her, let her know what works and what doesn’t. It was meant to take days.”

“If this is about his PTSD and nightmares, I already know,” Rachael interrupted. “He told me all about it before we fu….” A sharp glance from Leo stopped Rachael. She cleared her throat before continuing. “…. before we were intimate. He wanted to give me every chance to turn tail and run. Even after he laid it all out, I decided to stay.”

Mikey let out a deep sigh of relief and looked between them. Okay so she was aware of what she was getting into but she didn’t really know. If she wasn’t properly prepared, she could be hurt during one of Leo’s night time fits. The fact that he wasn’t used to her would be an added issue. In his moment of nightmare induce confusion he could see her as an intruder. “I think I should at least run through a few things with you, just so you are a little more prepared.”

Rachael shrugged. “That’s fine. We can talk after dinner.” 

She shrugged it off now but Mikey knew that her first time dealing with one of Leo’s night terrors was going to make her head spin. The first time Mikey experienced one it left him with a black eye. He was fairly certain that Leo having someone new in bed with him would most likely trigger one. 

“Whatever advice you can give her would be great, Mikey.” Leo’s smiled, conveying to Mikey a genuine appreciation. “You have done so much for me and it means a lot that you have these concerns. Thank you.”

Getting a little flustered with embarrassment, Mikey snorted and tried to wave it off. “You would do the same for me.”

“I don’t want to push you into doing something you aren’t ready to do,” Leo said honestly. “If you’re not ready to move in with Michelle then it can wait. I don’t mind waiting.”

Mikey looked over at Michelle and tried to get a read on how she felt about all of this. She simply grabbed his hand and smiled at him. She was leaving the decision up to him. However, her eyes looked hopeful. 

“Okay,” he said, without taking his eyes off of Michelle. Her smile widened and the look of hope was replaced with excitement. Turning his attention back to Leo, Mikey said, “I’ll move my things in with Michelle so Rachael can move in with you.”

“Thank you, Mikey,” Leo said. 

Rachael started off towards the bedrooms. “I’ll go get my things. What few things I have.”

Mikey sighed and followed after her. “I guess I’ll do the same.”

“Do you want me to help?” Michelle offered. 

With a grin on his face, Mikey looked back and motioned for Michelle to stay put. “It’s best you not come into the room. There are a few personal things in there we don’t want you to accidentally find. Leo can help me move my things. He owes me.”

“I’m coming,” Leo said with a laugh, following after Mikey. 

“I swear we are never allowed to settle in one place for very long,” Mikey said as soon as they entered the room. He headed straight for his things, some of which were still in their boxes. It didn’t take him long to pack the rest. “I guess it’s a good thing I was too lazy to unpack this stuff.”

Leo chuckled in response. “Maybe deep down you knew this was only temporary.” Leo stacked some of the boxes and lifted them with ease. He probably could have carried more if it weren’t for the fact that he needed to see. 

“Nope,” Mikey said, picking up the rest of the boxes and following Leo back out the door. “Lazy.”

They passed Rachael on their way. “Just set your things anywhere,” Leo told her. 

“That’s easy,” Rachael said flatly and held up the few items in her hands. “I don’t have a lot. They’re not gonna take up too much space. I’ll find an empty shelf… or rearrange things so there is one.”

Leo stopped and turned to look at her. “Don’t mess with too much.”

“I’m not promising anything,” Rachael replied, continuing towards the room. 

They’re already acting like a married couple, Mikey thought to himself, shaking his head while he tried not to laugh. 

Tello was sitting under the stairs, playing with the cats when Leo and Mikey passes. “What’s going on?”

“I get to move in with Michelle,” Mikey explained, “so that Rachael can move in with Leo since they already committed to a relationship with each other.”

“Well I guess it’s fortunate that Rachael was rooming with Michelle and you were rooming with Leo then,” Tello observed. “That way none of the rest of us has to shuffle around.”

“I guess it is fortuitous,” Mikey agreed as they reached his new room. “The longer we can go without telling Raph the better. I can just see his head exploding in anger now.”

Michelle greeted them with a smile. “It will be so nice to finally have things in the room.”

“Cut him some slack,” Tello said, standing up and moving to stand in the doorway as Mikey and Leo placed the boxes on the floor. “You and Leo have had it fairly easy. You got the girls you wanted, while Donna wants nothing to do with Raph. She’s actually in her room crying. Leah’s in there with her now.”

“You sound a little upset,” Leo observed. 

Tello flushed a little and diverted his eyes to the floor. “Leah and I talked a little before April showed up. After everything was sorted out with April, Donna headed back into her room and Leah followed. They’ve been in there ever since.” He fidgeted with his hands a little. “I’ve been out here, trying to process it all… without her.”

“So… then…,” Mikey said with a toothy grin. “You also got the girl you’re into.”

Tello’s blush darkened. “It seems like it.”

“Yeah,” Michelle said, drawing the word out. “I thought you would be the one Leah went for.”

“Um….” Tello tilted his head slightly. “You did? Is there a reason for that?”

“Well,” Michelle’s voice went up in pitch. “Don’t take this the wrong way but, you’re the most docile one in the group and Leah…. Well…. Let’s just say that she likes to be in control of things.”

“Leo’s counterpart alright,” Mikey said, dodging an attempted punch to the arm by Leo. “I’ll admit,” he said to Michelle, “I pegged Leah for a dominating type. She’s always to prim and proper, like Leo, so she’s bound to have the same issues with letting go of control.” Again Mikey had to move in order to avoid being hit only this time Leo adjusted and managed to land a solid punch to Mikey’s arm. “Ouch.”

“Wait a minute,” Tello said in protest. “I’m no weakling. I can take charge of things… in the right situations.”

Mikey placed his hand on Tello’s shoulder. “We’re not saying that you’re not capable of taking charge, just that you’re more comfortable as a follower.” He gently shoved Tello. “And it doesn’t make you any less of a man…, so to speak. There’s nothing wrong with letting a girl take charge in the sack.”

Even though it wasn’t a hard shove, Tello still rubbed his shoulder more out of shyness than pain. “Now you’ve given me more to think about.”

“That’s enough,” Leo said, glaring at his brother before he had a chance to say anything more. “Let’s stop talking about sex.”

“Why? Getting you all worked up?” Mikey teased, grunting as once again Leo struck him. “Okay. I’ll stop.”

“I’m gonna go make sure Rachael isn’t snooping out of boredom,” Leo said, leaving the room. 

“I’m gonna go as well,” Tello said, backing out of the doorway, “and think some more.”

With a smile on her face, Michelle closed the door. “Now we’re alone.”

“Yep,” Mikey said, swallowing hard as nerves set in. “Time to unpack,” He said quickly and headed for the stack of boxes, eager for the distraction from his screaming libido. Nothing kills desire like the mundane task of unpacking. Right?

With a sigh of exasperation, Michelle grabbed Mikey by the arm and pulled on him until he was facing her. Before he could say anything in protest, she pulled him down into a kiss. It was a soft, sweet, closed mouth kiss that lasted for just a few seconds but it left Mikey’s head spinning like he had just been kicked. 

There was a soft smack as their lips parted. “That was nice,” Michelle whispered, her lips still just a hair’s breadth from Mikey’s. 

Mikey’s lips were still tingling. “It was,” he agreed, fighting the urge to pull her into another kiss and ruining the tender moment. His body was on fire. He knew he wouldn’t be able to stop with just one more kiss. At the same time he couldn’t bring himself to pull away from her.

“I will admit that I was a little afraid that it was gonna be like when Deadpool and Mr. Deadpool kissed.” Michelle chuckled, resting her hand on Mikey’s chest.

“Me too,” Mikey exclaimed, snapping out of his trance. In the comic, when Deadpool had kissed his female counterpart from an alternate dimension they were both disgusted. Part of him had feared the same result with Michelle. Fortunately that was not the case. It was the exact opposite in fact. “Only in my comic it was Deadpool and Lady Deadpool.” Rushing back over to his boxes, Mikey searched for the one that held his comics, grateful for the distraction from his raging hormones. 

Progress was being made and the first hurdle had been crossed. The fear that had kept Mikey from acting was starting to melt away. After finding the comic he settled on the tatami with Michelle to read it together and she was just as excited as he was to start reading it. This really could end up a perfect relationship.


	46. In the Storm

“Your resting blood pressure is one hundred forty over eighty,” Donny stated as he placed the sphygmomanometer back into the cabinet. “How can someone who appears to be so calm and collected on the outside carry around so much stress?”

“Conditioning,” Leo answered. 

“You need to vent some of that stress,” Donny said, crossing his arms over his plastron. 

“Easier said than done,” Leo argued. 

“When’s the last time you meditated?” Donny asked. “Successfully.”

Leo shook his head. “I have tried but I haven’t been able to clear my mind enough to meditate for a while.”

Donnie sighed. “That’s what I thought. You have a girlfriend now. Try taking advantage of it.” Donny held up his hands and laughed when Leo looked at him with a raised eye ridge. “And, no I’m not implying that you simply have sex…, though sex is a great stress relief and I have given you plenty of condoms. You’ve got time before nightfall. Have a nice relaxing soak in the hot tub together, spend some time under the UV lamps, and then see if Rachael will give you a massage. Talk to her. Listen to her play her instrument. Take a few swings at the punching bag and have her spot you. Do something. I don’t want to have to medicate you.”

Leo glared at his brother. “Medicate me?” Looking away, he shook his head. “I have come close to losing loved ones so many times that I have lost count. I am the leader. It is on me to keep us safe. Now our little family is bigger and it will continue to get bigger and our enemies will not hesitate to kill any one of you. Medicating me will not change that.”

Donny sighed softly. “I know you carry the weight of the world on your shoulders right now but you have to learn to let some of that go. It is crushing you. I don’t want you to have a heart attack because you’re constantly worried about what our enemies might do. Stressing about the future won’t do anybody any good.”

“Alright,” Leo said with a sigh and a slight nod. “I’ll find Rachael and we’ll do some of the things you suggested.”

“Good.” Donny nodded. 

Leo got to his feet and considered his brother for a moment. “How are you doing?”

“I’m good,” Donny replied with a smile, rubbing his belly. “I’m not as sick with this pregnancy as I was with Snow.”

“It is so weird hearing you say that,” Leo said with a chuckle. “I don’t think I will ever get used to it.”

“You think it’s weird for you?” Donny smiled at his brother. “I’m the one going through it.” He looked off to the side in thought. “When this one is born, I’m going to have Dr. Chaplin remove the alien uterus. I’m good with just two.”

“There will be plenty of babies in the lair soon enough,” Leo pointed out. 

Donny laughed. “We won’t have room for them all.”

“This is not going to be easy,” Leo stated with a sigh. 

“We’ll figure it all out,” Donny soothed. 

Leo made his way to the door. “I hope so.” He left Donny’s lab and sought out Rachael. He had to admit that the thought of a nice long soak in the hot tub and a good massage sounded nice. Would she be willing to give him a massage?

He found her in the dojo, training with Raph. The pair of red banded turtles were sparring against each other both physically and verbally. Going unnoticed, Leo simply stood back out of sight and listened. From where he was standing he couldn’t see what was happening, but their voices carried well enough. 

“Good,” Raph said, followed by the soft shuffling of feet as they repositioned themselves. “Again.”

Raphael barked orders at Rachael, helping her develop her skills against an unfamiliar opponent. Years of training against the same opponents has its downsides. It is easy to read them and they become predictable. A thug on the street is anything but predictable. 

“You mad at Leo?” Rachael grunted out as they sparred.

Raph let out a humorless laugh. “No. I expected this. It’s not his fault that Donna wants him.”

The sound of movement stopped and Rachael took a few deep breaths to steady her breathing. “She’ll come around.”

Raphael sighed. “Her choices are me or being alone. I’m sure she struggling over which one’s worse.”

“Don’t be mean when she finally comes to you.” They walked a few steps and then there was the sound of a water bottle being picked up and exchanging hands. “Thank you.”

“I won’t,” Raph said as Rachael took a drink. “I’m not mad at her. I just want her to be happy. If she wants me to leave her alone, I will. If she decides to be with me instead of being alone….” His voice cracked. “I’ll do whatever she asks me.”

“That’s not fair for you,” Rachael pointed out. 

“It’s not fair for her,” Raph argued. “I want to be with her. She’s the one having to settle.”

“She wouldn’t’ve been happy with Leo,” Rachael stated with a slight chuckle. “And he wouldn’t’ve been happy with her. You’re what she wants, she just doesn’t know it yet.”

“We’ll see,” Raph said dismissively. “We’ve been at this for a while. We should take a break so we’ll be rested for tonight.”

“Alright,” Rachael agreed. 

At the sound of approaching footsteps, Leo silently pulled back from the door and then started walking forward again to give the impression of just arriving. When Raph emerged from the dojo, Leo smiled. “Is Rachael in there?”

“Yeah,” Raph replied with a nod and continued on his way. 

Leo watched as Raph walked away. He hated to see his brother suffering, knowing that there wasn’t anything he could do to help. Any action Leo took would only anger his brother more. He took comfort in knowing that Raph was at least opening up to his counterpart. 

With a soft sigh, Leo turned away from his troubled brother and headed into the dojo. Rachael was doing cooldown exercises that stretched her muscles and displayed her flexibility. Leo felt his tail stiffen at the sight and had to take a few steading breaths. “Hey,” he said, drawing Rachael’s attention. 

“Hey,” she replied with a slight nod of her head. “I just got done learning a few things from Raph. I’m ready to take on some bad guys tonight. It will be nice to finally get out there and make a difference.”

“We’ll start you off easy and work your way up,” Leo said, smiling. “Before you know it, you’ll be able to take on a team of Purple Dragons with ease. But for now.” He reached out his hand to her. “Come with me.”

“Where are we going?” Her usually monotone voce carried a slightly suggestive tone as she slipped her hand into his. It wasn’t helping his blood pressure to hear her voice change like that.

“I thought we could both benefit from a nice long soak in the hot tub,” Leo said as he led the way out of the dojo. 

“That’s fine,” Rachael said with a smile. “As long as we fuck later.”

Leo stumbled in his step and quickly looked around to make sure there was no one around. “Not so loud,” he whispered. 

“I thought you liked me loud,” Rachael teased. 

“Not where others can hear you,” Leo hissed, pulling her along. 

She didn’t resist him in the slightest and when they passed the stairs she chuckled. “You missed the turn.”

“Change of plans,” he said, heading straight for their room. “We’ll soak in the hot tub later.” Ignoring the knowing looks from Mikey and Raph, who happened to be exiting the kitchen at that moment with food for the cats, Leo entered his room, dragging Rachael behind him and then closed the door. 

“What on Earth could’ve changed your mind?” Rachael ran her bottom lip through her teeth. “Was it something I said?”

“Get your gear off and get on the bed,” Leo growled as he removed his mask. Rachael made a show of removing her gear, keeping her eyes on Leo the whole time. When she moved to the bed and lay down on her back, Leo shook his head. “Get on your knees and grab the headboard.

“Alright,” Rachael said in her sultry voice that was reserved only for Leo. She shifted her position so that she was on her knees, placed her hands on the headboard and lifted her tail. Looking over her shoulder she asked, “This what you want?”

Leo nodded his head. “Yeah.” He removed the rest of his gear and then retrieved the box of condoms out from under the bed along with some rope. 

As Leo placed a condom on the nightstand, Rachael’s eyes shifted towards the rope. “You gonna tie me up?”

“I’m going to tie your hands,” Leo confirmed. 

“You gonna blindfold and gag me as well?” Rachael asked, looking up at Leo. “Do you wanna spank me? Do I need a safe word or something?”

“I’ll never gag you,” Leo stated. “I need to hear you talk, that’s part of what gets me off. And I have no desire to hurt you. I’m not into that. I just want to tie your hands to the headboard. It has to do with control.”

“Feed your kinks,” Rachael said, nodding her head. “I trust you.”

“Good,” Leo said and then proceeded to bind her hands to the metal headboard. As he looped and bound the soft rope around her hands, Leo could feel his desire rise. When he was done, he tugged on the rope. “Not too tight?”

“I’m good,” Rachael replied. 

Leo traced his fingers along her arms and down her back as he made his way to the foot of the bed and her backside. Grabbing her tail, Leo sild his finger across her cloaca. She moaned in response, lifting her tail higher. “Can I see your cock before we start,” Rachael requested, looking over her shoulder. “You went after it so fast last time I didn’t get a chance to see it. I wanna see if it’s an impressive as Donny claims it to be.”

Keeping his hand on her tail, Leo stepped closer to the head of the bed. He dipped his finger inside her, teasing her clitoris. Much to his delight, she was already wet. With a soft moan, he slipped his penis out of his tail. One hand stimulated her and he used his other to stroke himself, her moans of pleasure adding to his own. The desire to get up on the bed and take her from behind was strong but he wanted to hear her beg. 

“That is impressive,” Rachael hummed. “I want it inside me.”

Leo removed his finger from her wet slit and grabbed the condom. “I don’t believe you.”

“Oh but I do want it,” Rachael said in a sultry voice. “Give it to me. Fuck me, Leo. Please.”

Leo smiled. “Ride me.” He put the condom on and then got up on the bed, sliding under her. She straddled him and then teased him by grabbing his cock with her tail. Moving her hips, she slid her slit up and down his length. 

“Put it in me,” she pleaded. “I can’t do it myself. You tied my hands.” When he did nothing, she growled. “Damnit, Leo. Don’t tease me. Fuck me.” She had increased the movement of her hips and looked down at him with a gleam of mischief in her eyes. “Or are you too scared you won’t last long enough to satisfy me?”

Leo’s penis twitched and ached with desire. How was it that she already knew all the right things to say to get him going? Keeping his eyes locked on hers, he lifted his needy cock as Rachael lifted up. He aligned his tip with her slit she lowered herself, taking it all in. Even with the condom on, it felt amazing to be enveloped by her tight warmth. Rolling his head back, Leo let out a deep churr. 

Rachael moaned as she started to bounce up and down on him. “You feel so good, Leo.”

Leo placed his hands on her thighs, squeezing the tight muscles that trembled with the effort of keeping the fast pace she had set. Words of praise fell from her lips in breathless mumbles. Whenever she tilted her head back, Leo could see the throbbing pulse in her neck. Everything about her excited him. 

“Oh fuck,” she gasped, slowing her pace as her body tensed. 

Leo moved with her, gently stimulating her through her orgasm in an attempt to strengthen it or at least draw it out longer. The squelching sound made every time he moved within her was another turn on for him. It meant she was wet and that meant that he had successfully pleasured her. 

Her body trembled from the after effects of the orgasm and she slumped slightly in exhaustion. “That was… wow,” she mumbled. 

With a few steady upward thrusts, Leo sought out his own completion before reaching up to undo the knots that held Rachael’s wrists. As soon as she was free, she fell onto him, her beak pressed into his neck as she let out a satisfied hum. 

“I need to take this thing off,” Leo said softly, kissing the top of her head. 

With a slight nod of understanding, Rachael lifted herself up. Leo made sure to hold the condom in place as she slid off and flopped down on the bed. Leo sat up and removed the condom, happy to see that it held, and threw it away. He knew it was possible that it was a little late to start using one but if she was capable of storing sperm, he wasn’t about to add to what she already had. 

With a satisfied sigh, he lay back down on the bed and the two of them shifted their position until they were comfortably snuggling up against each other. Donny was right, sex was a wonderful way to ease tension. He hadn’t felt this relaxed in a long time. 

Rachael trailed her fingers down Leo’s plastron. “Your penis is still out,” she said and touched the still exposed tip. 

Leo gasped and grabbed her wrist. “I can’t pull it all the way in yet and it’s kind of sensitive so don’t touch it.” He lifted her wrist to his lips and kissed it before checking to make sure the ropes didn’t leave any marks. It was a little red but he was sure it would fade soon.

“Okay,” Rachael chuckled, placing her hand back on Leo’s chest once he released it. 

“I will want to tie you up again,” Leo said as a matter of fact, looking up at the ceiling, “in more intricate ways. And blindfold you.”

“But you’ll never gag me. You’re into bondage.” She shrugged. “That’s fine.” Rachael traced her fingers through the lines on his plastron. “You can do whatever you want as long as you fuck me.”

“Don’t talk about sex outside of this room again,” he said, keeping his eyes on the ceiling. 

Rachael propped herself up and looked down at Leo. “Is there anything else?”

Leo cupped her cheek and brought her down for a soft kiss. “I love you.”

A genuine smile lit up her face. “I love you too.”

They stayed in bed, snuggled up together for another hour before heading upstairs for a soak in the hot tub. Rachael was kind enough to rub Leo’s shoulders while they soaked. By the time they were done, dinner was ready. Afterwards, Leo helped with the dishes while Mikey took Rachael off to the side to discuss Leo. 

When darkness fell, it was time for them to go out on their training run. Eight out of the nine turtles suited up to go out. Donny was staying behind due to his condition. Leo could see the worry in Sliver’s eyes as they left but Splinter was there to reassure her that everything was going to be alright. 

This was something that they needed to do. Sliver had to let them go. Their enemies were dangerous and the girls were going to have to learn how to survive the storm if they ever wanted to leave the lair. What they were going to face tonight was nothing compared to the torrent of evil that awaited them in the future. 

Leo led the way through the sewers and up to the surface and the others followed silently. It was strange not hearing the usual banter between his brothers. Leo couldn’t remember exactly when it had stopped happening. For a moment, he longed for the simpler days when they were able to be more carefree. 

The area they were going to patrol was one that the Purple Dragons tended to stay away from. Petty crooks were what they were after, nothing too great. This was going to be the girls’ first real fight, Leo wanted to keep it simple. 

When they reached their destination, Leo addressed the girls. “My brothers and I will stay back while the four of you fight the bad guys. We will only intervene if we deem that the situation has become more than you can handle. Until we find a crime, we keep moving. Stay close and don’t let anyone see you. And above all, try not to kill anyone.”

The girls nodded their heads in response and Leo turned, heading across the roof tops. Even though they weren’t going to be fighting the greater threats against the city, it still felt good to finally be on patrol again.


	47. Pen and Paper

Donna flopped down on the bed with a grunt. Their first patrol had been a success. Mistakes had been made but they had managed to fight off petty criminals without needing the guys to help. But all that fighting had left her whole body aching. She had physically worked herself harder than she had ever worked before. Then again, she had never had to fight for her life before. 

The more time that past the more she hurt. Now that the rush was starting to wear off, every blow the criminals had managed to land was starting to make their presence known. She hurt so much that, despite how exhausted she was, she doubted she was going to get any sleep. 

Leah looked just as exhausted and she was sporting a sizable welt on her upper left arm where one of the criminals had managed to strike her with a bat. That was going to leave a nasty bruise. Slowly, Leah removed her gear as her body started to stiffen. “I have a feeling I am going to be hurting worse in the morning.”

“You and me both,” Donna moaned, shifting her position a little to make room for Leah. 

When someone knocked on their door they looked at each other, neither willing to get up to answer it. “Come in,” Leah called out. 

Tello poked his head in and smiled at the two of them. “Hi….” He held up a small bottle. “Donny asked me to give this to you. It’s ointment. It should help ease the pain and reduce the swelling.”

Leah held up her hands. “Toss it here. I don’t wanna get up.” 

“You know,” Tello said as he opened the door a little wider and stepped in. “If you are in that bad of shape I could always come in and lend a hand.” With a chuckle he held up his hand and smiled. “It will take less than no time at all with hands like….”

His statement ended with a slight yelp as he was pulled back. He looked off to the side and Raph’s voice could be heard coming from just out of sight. “Now’s not the time to flirt with your new girlfriend.”

“Right. Sorry.” Tello shifted his attention back to Leah. “Sorry. I got a little carried away. Here.” He tossed the bottle and Leah expertly caught it. 

“You’re forgiven,” Leah said with a smile. “Maybe in the morning I will let you put those hands to work.”

Tello flushed and started to mumble nervously and incoherently. Once again Raph’s hand came out and pulled Tello back. “Goodnight, ladies,” he said, staying out of sight as he closed the door. 

Leah and Donna passed the bottle between each other as they worked to cover all of their sore spots. By the time they were done, the bottle was almost empty, spurting out its contents when they squeezed, but at least it seemed to be working. The pain Donna had been feeling was fading to a dull ache. 

Closing her eyes, she let out a content sigh. 

She must have fallen asleep because the next thing she knew was that she was being startled awake by a loud thud and Rachael screaming out, “Leo!”

Stiff muscles be damned, Donna and Leah were out of their bed in an instant. They opened their door in time to see Mikey rushing into Leo and Rachael’s shared room. Making their way over to the open door, Leah and Donna looked inside. 

Rachael was sitting on the floor with Mikey looking her over. “I’m fine,” she insisted, shooing him away. “He didn’t hurt me. I was just surprised.”

Leo was on the bed with his head in his hands, slouched over in shame. “I’m sorry,” he mumbled over and over. 

“What happened,” Mikey asked as the others soon joined them to see what was going on. 

“Leo started moving,” Rachael explained. “I was asleep and had forgotten that I was next to him and not Michelle.” She sighed, looking more frustrated with herself than anything. “Michelle tends to fidget in her sleep so when Leo started moving, I pushed him like I usually did Michelle. That’s when he threw us both off the bed but I’m okay.”

“I tried to strangle you,” Leo stated, sounding angry with himself. 

“You came to your senses before anything happened,” Rachael argued. She looked around at everyone gathered in the doorway. “I’m fine,” she insisted. “You all can stop gawking and go back to bed.”

“She’s right,” Sliver said from behind Donna. She placed her hand on Donna’s shoulder and coaxed her away from the door. A simple hand gesture was all that was needed to get Leah to move away.

“Rachael appears unharmed so there is no need for you all to stay,” Splinter agreed, stepping past the others to enter the room. “Mistress Yuri and I will handle this. The rest of you should return to your rooms.”

“Hai, Sensei,” they all said, overlapping one another as they made their way back to their rooms. 

“Everything okay?” Raph asked Tello. He had stayed back by the stairs when everyone else had tried to press into the room to get a look. 

“It seems like it,” Tello replied as they made their way back to their room. “Leo snapped out of it before he seriously hurt Rachael.”

“Good,” Raph said. “Hopefully she’ll learn fast. I’d hate to see Leo guilt ridden over hurting her like he was when he gave Mikey a black eye.”

Leah and Donna entered their room and made their way back to bed. “Can you imagine?” Leah asked as they settled into bed. Leah was on her back, looking up at the ceiling with her hands tucked under her head. “She needs to be on guard at all times now, even when she’s asleep.” She turned her head to look at Donna. “He could seriously hurt her if she does the wrong thing.” She looked back up at the ceiling and sighed. “I’m glad it’s not me.”

“If Leo’s that bad, imagine how bad Raph is,” Donna said tartly, turning on her side facing Leah and tucking one arm under her pillow for support. 

Shaking her head, Leah looked at Donna again. “When I overheard Mikey warning Rachael about Leo after dinner I had asked Tello about Raph. He said that Raph was a deep sleeper and if he does have a nightmare he simply holds Tello closer. I don’t think you have to worry about him.”

Donna glared at Leah. “You’re assuming that I’m going to be sleeping next to him one day.”

“You’re the one who brought him up.” Leah turned on her side to face Donna. “You’re going to choose to be alone?”

Donna looked down and shrugged. “I don’t know yet.”

Leah brushed her fingers along Donna’s cheek and then leaned in to kiss her sister on the forehead. Nothing more was said as the two settled down to sleep. 

The next morning, Donna headed to Donny’s lab with the latest file she had finished reading in hand. She was learning so much from Donatello’s notes and envied the life he had led. True his life had been in danger a good portion of the time but he had experienced so much. He had even traveled through space and time. 

The door to the lab was open, indicating that she was free to enter. She rounded the shelving unit that served as a room divider and headed straight for Donny, who was sitting at his desk. She held the file out to him. “I’m ready for the next file.” 

He reached down to pat the filing drawer without taking his eyes off of his computer. “Help yourself.”

Dropping to her knees, Donna opened the drawer and placed the read file away before searching for another one. She didn’t have to read the files in an order, they were by subject not by occurrence. So she looked for a subject that interested her and found the one on the guys’ mystic training. 

As she pulled the file out, she noticed an envelope with her name on it next to one with the name Joi on it. Curiosity getting the better of her, Donna grabbed the envelope with her name on it and tucked it against the file in her hand to hide it. 

“I’m gonna start in on these right away,” she said as she got to her feet. 

“We’re good on work load for now,” Donny said, without looking up and waved her away. “You can do whatever you want for now. But I will need your help later with some things so don’t tuck yourself away somewhere where I can’t find you.”

“Alright,” Donna agreed as she made a hasty exit. 

She headed straight for her room and closed the door behind her. Sitting on the bed, she tossed the file aside and looked down at the envelope in her hands. Why would Donny have this? She was going to find out. 

Carefully breaking the seal, Donna opened the envelope and pulled out the folded papers inside. It was a hand written note, three pages long front and back, written in black ink. After scanning over the first few lines, she was able to deduce that it was written by Raphael. 

Part of her wanted to simply fold it back up and seal it back in the envelope but the other part wanted to know what it said. So she read it. What harm could there be in it?

The first part explained how it was Donny’s idea that he write the letter. It was therapeutic. Write the letter, say what you wanted to say, seal it in an envelope and never send it to them. It was a way of working it out of your system without actually confronting the other person. He had done it years before when a woman named Joi had broken his heart. That explained the other one Donna had seen.

Then he went on to explain how when he had first seen her that she was like an answer to his prayers. He was closest to his brother Donny and he had hoped to have the same connection to her. He had forgotten about the animosity that Donny had towards him when they were younger. That it was only after they went out into the world and had to fight alongside each other that their relationship started to grow. 

He understood that, since Donna and her sisters lacked the same life experiences that she did not get the chance to build that same kind of relationship with Rachael. And, just like he had done with her and Donny, Donna had projected the image Rachael on to him. 

She had to take a moment to stop reading as she let that sink in. He was right. Everything she thought about him was based on Rachael. She had never taken the time to get to know him. She knew that she wasn’t exactly like Donny. It wasn’t fair to assume that Raphael was exactly like Rachael. 

She continued to read about the things he would have shared with her. About how he had already started to modify some of the dresses he had to fit her. He promised that he would never hurt her. He couldn’t guarantee that he would not yell from time to time or lose his temper, but he would not physically harm her. 

Tear stains smudged the ink on the page as his words turned to acceptance of her not wanting him. He said she deserved better than him and that all he wanted was for her to be happy. He would respect whatever decision she made. 

She read how he felt that the attack had left him weak, damaged. It robbed him of his ability to have children. His confidence was gone. He was doing things he never would have done before it had happened. 

What she read next she had to read again to make sure she had read it right. Sitting up in bed she felt her heart sink as she read it yet again. He confessed that he was addicted to pain pills and that no matter how hard he tried he couldn’t stop taking them. She could see the change in his handwriting that signified how emotional he was at the moment he had written the words. Donna’s heart sank. What was she going to do now that she knew this secret?


	48. Sport

Tello stood at one end of the dojo, looking across the room at Michelle. His heart hammered in his chest as he tried to anticipate how she was going to come at him. Nodding his head to indicate that he was ready, he braced himself. 

Michelle darted forward, making a tumbling pass across the dojo floor. When she reached him, Michelle did a hand spring into the air and came down with her feet together. Dropping to one knee, Tello cupped his hands and positioned them so that she would land on them. 

As soon as they made contact, Tello judged her next move. The way her muscles tensed, Tello could see that Michelle was readying herself to jump again so he gave her a boost. They worked in unison. As he stood, he lifted his arms so that Michelle would gain more height in her jump. 

His eyes never left her as she twisted and spun in the air. As she began her decent, she twisted so that she fell backwards towards him. Tello reached up and caught her, cradling her in his arms. 

He held her for only a second. As soon as her downward momentum had stopped and they had both found their balance, he adjusted his hold so that she could slide out of his arms and onto her own two feet. 

She threw her harms up into the air and cheered, “You caught me!”

“Wonderfully done,” Sliver praised them, clapping her hands. “There was no hesitation and you both managed to anticipate one another well enough get through the stunt without falling.”

In hopes of uniting the two teams into one, Splinter and Sliver had decided on running them all through a series of trust exercises. Working as a team was crucial to their survival. Being raised together, the siblings were already used to reading one another during a fight. The goal was to get that same level of familiarity between the boys and girls. 

The sport they were practicing this morning was, more or less, competitive cheer. Donatello, however got to sit it out due to his condition of being pregnant. In the exercise, the girls were making tumble passes across the dojo towards the boys. There would be no discussion beforehand or plan, instead they would have to go purely off of instinct. 

At first it was disastrous. The girls would hesitate, not fully trusting the guys to catch them and the guys would fumble, unsure where the girls would go. Bodies would collide with one another and the pair would end up in a pile on the floor, both blaming the other for everything that had gone wrong. 

It had taken them some time but eventually things started to turn for the better. Michelle was actually the second one Tello had managed to read properly. Rachael had been the first. It was intimidating to have someone almost as big as he was running towards him but she had no intention of having him catch her. Instead she had relied on him to give her a boost. She had gone up into the air, did an impressive twist and spin, and then landed next to him. 

Michelle and Tello moved out of the way as Splinter called Raphael and Donna forward. They were the last pairing for the day. Earlier, Raph had collided with Rachael, dropped Michelle, and managed read Leah well enough so that she was able to flip and land standing on his shoulders. 

However, Donna’s over all shyness and mistrust had all of her attempts ending badly. Tello felt bad for her. It wasn’t that she lacked skill, just confidence and she didn’t like being the center of attention or touched. 

“Raphael will catch you,” Splinter assured Donna as she took her place on the other side of the dojo. “Trust him and do not hesitate.”

After letting out a deep breath she began her run towards Raph, flipping and twisting as she raced across the room. Tello could read the anticipation laced with fear in Raph’s eye as his stance shifted with every move Donna made. He looked determined to make this work.

Donna’s final flip had her in front of Raph with her back to him while in a handstand. Using her momentum, he reached down and grabbed her by the waste and lifted her from the ground. He tossed her slightly into the air, twisting her so that she was momentarily face down and parallel to the ground. As he ducked slightly, she brought her feed down. They made contact and together they righted themselves to the standing position, with her balanced on his hand. 

“He was able to lift her up!” Michelle cheered in delight, clapping her hands. 

“Not funny,” Donna shot back so frazzled that she was thrown off balance. She let out a small squeak as she started to fall. 

Raphael was quick to react and managed to move so that he could catch Donna bridal style. Rachael let out a soft chuckle. “Good catch.”

Ignoring Rachael, Raph looked down at Donna for a moment, checking to make sure she was alright. When their eyes met, his cheeks darkened and he gingerly set her on her feet. Raph looked away before the blush that painted Donna’s cheeks flared. Tello was sure that even if he had seen it, Raph would have thought that it was due to embarrassment or anger. But there was something about the way Donna was looking at Raph that made Tello think that there might have been something more to it. 

Michelle’s eyes went wide as her hand came up to her mouth. “I didn’t mean it that way. Sorry, Donna. I was happy that you guys succeeded. It wasn’t meant to sound like I was teasing you.”

“It’s okay,” Donna replied softly, shifting her eyes to the floor. “I over reacted.”

“You did well,” Sliver praised them. “Though there was still a little bit of hesitation, you finally learned to trust one another. We must build on that until you are all a unified team.” A sly smile spread across her face. “Splinter and I have come up with several more exercises designed to do just that and they will be part of your daily training.”

Splinter moved to stand next to Sliver and gestured towards the weapons’ wall. “Now that this little exercise is complete, it is time for katas and sparing.”

“Hai, Sensei,” they said in unison, bowing slightly before turning to collect their weapons from the wall. 

Once again, Splinter and Sliver stepped aside to allow Leo to take charge. He ran them through a series of katas that could be used with any weapon and then separated them to practice weapon specific katas. After an hour of that, he paired them off for some sparring. By the time they were done, Tello was exhausted. 

He decided was going to use his free time before lunch to take a nice, long soak in the hot tub. He took the stairs two at a time and was already in the process of undoing his belt as he opened the door. Stripping himself of all of his gear, he set it aside before heading over to the hot tub to turn it on. 

As he waited for the water to get hot, Tello took a quick shower to wash off all the grit and grime. Freshly cleaned, he slipped into the tub and rested his carapace against one of the jets. He liked the way the gushing water felt against his sensitive scutes. Leaning his head back, Tello closed his eyes and relaxed.

The sound of the door opening was not enough to rouse him from his moment of tranquility. He didn’t care who it was or what they were going to do, he was comfortable and had no intention of moving for anything. 

He heard their every movement. They first stripped off their gear and then made their way over to the shower. Their foot falls were light, leading Tello to believe that it was one of the girls. Mikey or Raph would have been stomping their way to the shower and Leo would have made no sound at all. If it had been Donny, he would have said something. 

“Can I join you?”

Leah’s voice pulled Tello from a trance and his eyes popped open as he jerked upright. There she was, standing at the edge of the hot tub, looking down at him, naked and wet and he suddenly felt lightheaded. Nodding dumbly was the only response he was able to give. 

As Leah stepped into the hot tub, Tello could see that her tail was down. His pulse quickened and his own tail grew stiff at the sight of it. 

Leah hummed as she submerged herself into the warm water, sitting across from Tello. “This is nice.” She smiled, looking Tello in the eyes. “I’ve been hoping we could spend some more time alone together.”

“I’m still finding it hard to wrap my head around the fact that you have chosen to be with me,” Tello admitted. 

“Well, I have,” Leah replied. “What about you? I’m I the one you wanted?”

“I hadn’t really thought about it,” Tello admitted. When he saw a brief glint of sadness in her eyes he did his best to explain. “It’s just… I’m scared,” Tello said, keeping his eyes fixed on Leah. “I didn’t want to let myself fall for one of you. I don’t…,” he faltered and had to look away. “It killed me a little on the inside when April finally chose Casey over me. I don’t think I could go through that again. I think you’re beautiful, but part of me’s afraid that someone else will come along and you’ll fall for him. You’ve chosen me out of who you thought was available but your choices really aren’t that limited. I mean, the Foot clan has several mutants now. You don’t have to be with another Turtle. I’m sure there are several who would find you attractive….”

Before he could ramble any further, Leah moved so that she was sitting next to him and then placed her hand on his cheek to coax him to turn his head and look at her. “I’m not settling for one of four options. I have met several of the mutants in the Foot clan and I would rather be with you.”

“Why?” Tello rasped out. “Why would you want to be with me?”

Leah chuckled. “Would you like a list?”

“It might help,” Tello said, managing a small smile. “I could use a boost to my ego.”

“You’re witty,” Leah said, running her fingers along Tello’s cheek, “and a little goofy. I like your smile and your eyes. You’re kind and smart. I can’t think of anyone I would rather be with.” Leaning forward she placed a soft kiss on his lips, causing his brain to shut down.

When they parted he tried to say something but it all came out and incoherent dribble. With a giggle, Leah licked her lips and moved to sit in Tello’s lap. Not knowing what he was allowed to do, his hands gripped the edge of the seat. His heart was pounding as she leaned forward. This time she kissed him deeply, her tongue exploring the depth of his mouth. 

Tello churred in response. 

“I like that sound,” Leah hummed into the kiss. “Do it again.”

“I don’t really control it,” Tello said in a daze. “It just kind of happens.”

Leah smiled as she sucked on Tello’s bottom lip. “Why don’t we go back to my room and see if I can get you to make that noise again.”

Tello nodded his head. At this point he was willing to do anything she asked of him. He didn’t resist as she pulled him out of the hot tub. The cool air snapped him from his daze enough to turn the heater off before they gathered their gear and left the bathroom.

When they reached Leah’s room Tello remembered one small problem. “What if Donna comes in?”

“I had asked her if I could have the room to myself for a little while,” Leah answered, as she put her gear away. “She knows I want to spend more time with you so she promised to stay away until after lunch.” She chuckled. “Her only request is that we put a towel or something on the bed. Just in case.”

“Okay,” Tello said, suddenly feeling lightheaded again. Was she implying what he thought she was? The next thing he knew was that he was lying on the floor, looking up at Leah. “What happened?”

“You fainted,” Leah answered. 

“I did?” Tello whimpered. 

Leah nodded. “You okay?”

She helped Tello sit up and a wave of embarrassment washed over him. “Oh man, I’m sorry.”

“It’s okay,” Leah soothed. 

Internally he was chiding himself. Placing his hand on his head, Tello sighed. “I get nervous and then light headed and the next thing I know…,”

“It’s okay,” Leah insisted and then helped Tello to his feet. “Why don’t you go lie down on the bed.”

“Good idea,” Tello said before flopping face down on the soft tatami. “That way if I pass out again, I won’t get hurt,” he mumbled into the pillow. 

Leah got on the bed next to him and began to rub his carapace. Tello hummed in delight and began to relax. After a while, Leah coaxed Tello to roll over onto his back. She then straddled his hips and resumed kissing him. 

He gripped his sheets as another churr bubbled up. Breaking the kiss, Leah smiled down at him before noticing his white knuckle hold on the sheets. Sliding her fingers down his arms, she grabbed hold of his hands. “It’s okay if you touch me.” She moved his hands up so that he could grab the back of her thighs. 

Tello churred as he kneaded the tight muscle. 

“I really like it when you make that sound,” she husked as she dropped her tail down to wrap around his. Churring again, he squeezed Leah’s legs tighter as he bucked his hips. 

Tello’s body trembled from the rush of endorphins. Dazed, he looked up at her. “Leah.”

“That sounds even sweeter,” she hummed leaning forward to once again capture his lips. 

His mind was in a fog but his body was alive. Every touch was like a shockwave to his core and before he knew it, his penis was emerging. Leah didn’t shy away from it. She simply shifted her position so that it could come up between them. When she touched it, Tello nearly blacked out again. 

He churred with each breath, unable to believe that it was actually happening. He was in such a dazed state of euphoria that he barely registered it when she reached for a condom. He watched her unroll the it onto his penis, so aroused that it almost hurt. It was really happening. 

As she lowered herself onto him and he was enveloped in her tight warmth, his eyes glazed over. Blinking in an attempt to clear his vision, he tried to watch Leah but he couldn’t stay focused. He was in a state of pure bliss and it was only getting better. The world could come crashing down around him and he wouldn’t know it. 

He thought that there was no way it could get any better but then his body tensed for a moment before his released. Lights danced before his eyes before everything went black. 

Tello couldn’t remember the last time he had felt so relaxed. His eyelids were heavy as he fought to open them. A soft kiss on his forehead helped to pull him to full consciousness. “Did I dream it all or did we… just…?” he asked weakly. 

Leah smiled and nodded. “We did.”

“I’m sorry I passed out… again,” Tello whimpered. He felt bad. There was no way she had enjoyed it. He had been lying there like a lump the whole time, making her do all the work and then he passed out. “I’ll make it up to you, somehow.”

“I enjoyed it,” she said as she curled up against him, resting her head on his chest. 

“Really?” Tello looked at her. “You’re not just saying that to make me feel better?”

Leah nodded. “Watching the kind of effect it had on you and hearing all the noises you made… kind of turned me on. I hadn’t planned on us having sex but… the more nervous you were… the more aroused I was.” She lifted her head so that she could look at him. “I didn’t know that about myself.”

“I never thought that sex would be so incapacitating for me,” Tello said in an attempt to be funny. “I guess we both learned something new about ourselves.”

“True,” Leah said with a chuckle as she placed her head back on his chest. “We have a few more hours before lunch. I don’t want to move until then.”

“Good idea,” Tello mumbled as he started to doze.


	49. Fairy Tale

Raphael was sitting at his work table, delicately painting the eyebrows on the face of a Barbie doll he was refurbishing. It had originally been a doll from the eighties with heavy makeup and matted hair. Some acetone on the face removed the original paint and a few hours soaking in fabric softener helped smooth out the hair. He was glad that he was able to salvage the hair. Replacing it would have taken a great deal longer that it did for him to brush it out. 

The light brown brow was the last detail he had to do on the face. Once it was dried, he would be able to style the hair and then place the head on a body. He already had a few Barbie sized dresses made, using materials from formal gowns that were too damaged to be salvageable for anything other than scrap. 

He used real gold and small jewels as accents and jewelry. When finished, the doll he was working on would put any found on the market to shame and would sell in April’s shop for several hundred dollars. There was a waiting list, his dolls were so popular. Most people didn’t care what size doll they got, so long as they got the next one. 

He had his favorite movie, Beauty and the Beast, playing on a small television, DVD player combo. He wasn’t really watching it, having it on more for background noise. He softly sang along to the music as he worked, his deep baritone often falling out of key but he knew every word. 

He had just finished the eyebrows and was debating on whether or not to add a beauty mark when someone knocked on the door. He had been expecting April with a new supply of old dolls but a glance at the clock told him that it was too early for it to be her. 

Placing the brush in a jar of water to clean, Raph turned off his desk lights and got up to see who was knocking at his door. When he opened the door, his heart jumped into his throat. Donna stood there, looking up at him with her doll clutched in her hands. 

He stumbled over his words for a moment before settling on, “Hey.”

“Hi,” Donna said, looking down at her doll. “I was wondering if you could help me.”

“Sure.” Raph nodded. This was a start. She was at least talking to him. “What do you need?”

“I need help… um… brushing her hair…?” She looked up at him and then sighed. “Okay so, honestly, I’m just using her as an excuse,” she rambled. “I came here to talk…. I figured that since Leah and Tello have officially declared themselves as a couple, it would be best to let them share a room and so I… need to….”

“… find a new place to sleep,” Raph finished for her. 

Donna nodded. 

“I… uh,” Raph sighed. He was at a loss. He had no idea where she was going with this. Did she want to share a room with him? Did she want him to help her clean out another empty space? “I… will… do whatever you want.”

“Well,” Donna hesitated, looking hard at the ground. “You and I are…,” she shrugged, “the last ones. So… maybe I can stay in your room?”

“Oh,” Raph managed to say before his voice gave out on him. So, she decided that being alone was the less desirable option. He cleared his throat in hopes it would be enough to regain his voice. “We have some extra tatami stored away somewhere. We can pick out the best one and set you up a place to sleep.”

“We should also start spending more time together,” Donna suggested. “Get to know each other.” Unable to find his voice, Raph nodded in response. There was a long awkward silence between them before she cleared her throat. “Can I come in?”

“Yeah,” Raph said, stepping out of the way while mentally kicking himself for not offering it first. She was opening herself up to him. He needed to seize that opportunity and show her that she was wrong about him. 

Donna looked around the room. “You’ve got a lot of stuff in here.”

“I’ve been collecting for a long time,” Raph replied, closing the door and then pointed to the doll in Donna’s hands. “If you want me to clean her up a little for you, I can. I’ve got the time. I can probably soften the hair up so you can get a brush through it.”

“Um… sure,” she said, handing over the doll. “Why not.”

Keeping his distance, Raph reached out to take it from her. “It will take a few minutes. Feel free to look around. Just be careful around the work table over there. The paint’s still wet.”

“Okay.” She scanned the room again as another silence fell over them. After a while, her attention was caught by the movie. “What movie is this?”

“Beauty and the Beast,” Raph answered as he filled a small plastic tub with warm water. “It’s one of my favorites. I like to listen to it while I work.” 

“I’ve never seen it.” Sitting down to get a better view, she settled in to watch the remainder of the movie. “What’s going on?”

“Here.” Raph picked up the remote control and restarted the movie. “You can watch it from the beginning.”

“You didn’t have to do that,” Donna said. 

Raph shrugged. “It’s okay. I’ve seen it hundreds of times. Like I said, I just had it on for background noise. You can watch it while I clean up your doll and time will fly by.”

“Okay,” Donna surrendered and then turned her attention back to the small television. 

The silence that fell was a great deal less awkward. Donna was occupied with the movie while Raph worked on the doll. 

He didn’t want to over step and do too much but he did want to make a noticeable difference. While the hair soaked, he scrubbed the body with a slurry of baking soda and water. The hard plastic body was still in decent condition and the grime came right off. He washed and mended the tattered dress and then touched up the paint on the face. Most of the eye lashes had fallen off so he glued some new ones on the stationary lids. Finally, he brushed through the hair, taking care not to mess up the new paint. 

Raph had finished with the doll long before the movie finished but Donna had been so engrossed in it, Raph didn’t want to disturb her so he started to work on styling the Barbie doll’s hair. 

When the credits started rolling, Donna turned off the television. “That was a good movie, it had me in tears a few times. I really liked the ballroom scene. It was lovely.” She turned to face Raph and he presented her with her cleaned doll. Her eyes went wide. “Oh wow!” Taking the doll from Raph, she turned it over in her hands. “This is the same doll?”

“Yeah,” Raph said with a nod, scratching the back of his head. “Sorry that she’s still a little damp but the paint is at least dry. I hope I didn’t do too much.”

Keeping her eyes on the doll, Donna shook her head. “She looks wonderful. Thank you. I didn’t think she could ever look this good. You’re amazing.”

Raph’s cheeks flushed. “I’ve had a lot of practice mending things.”

“Like this over here?” Walking over to a full-size dress Raph was in the process of mending, Donna inspected his work. “What got you started in all of this?”

“When we were small, Master Splinter would read us stories,” Raph explained, deciding to be completely honest. “He found this book with a bunch of old princess stories in it. They were all about evil witches putting magic curses on royalty then someone else would come along, break the curse with love and they would live happily ever after. 

“I got it in my head that we were cursed. I mean, it all fit, in my young mind at least. We were different and had to remain hidden, just like in the stories.” He let out a soft chuckle as he thought back on those times. “I thought that there was no way a young and beautiful princess would fall in love with my father, he was too old, and had no faith in my brothers so I made it my responsibility to break the curse. 

“I knew it was gonna take a lot of work to get a woman to look past the way I looked and fall in love with me so I started collecting things to give her, to win her over. I became obsessed with princesses. I wanted to get in their heads, find out what they liked. My brothers thought I was weird and they gave me a hard time over it.”

Raph shook his head and this time his chuckle was filled with sorrow. “I yelled at them, saying that at least I was trying to break this curse. That was when Master Splinter sat me down to tell me that there was no curse and that we were never human. It broke my heart. 

“At first, I refused to believe him. In time, I realized that he was right but a small part of me never gave up hope that I would find someone to give all this to. That she would look past this,” he indicated the way he looked with a wave of his hand, “and… love me.”

“Wow,” Donna said softly, looking at Raph as if seeing him for the first time. 

“Yeah.” Raph looked away, his heart sinking as his stomach tied itself in knots. “It was stupid.”

“I don’t think so,” Donna said. “There’s nothing wrong with wanting to be loved by someone.” She once again looked around the room. “All of this stuff would have been great for a human.” Looking at the dress, she ran her fingers along the curve of the bodice. “Not something that a mutant turtle could use. I wouldn’t even fit in this.”

“Well, that’s the wrong cut for you,” Raph said as a matter of fact. “That’s going to April’s shop. You would look amazing in a dress with the right cut.”

Donna laughed and shook her head. “I would look ridiculous in a dress.”

Feeling a little bit more confident, Raph allowed himself a half smile. “Mind if I prove you wrong?”

Dumbstruck, Donna watched as Raph moved over to the rack where he had his collection of dresses hanging. “You can’t be serious,” she said as Raph pulled a garment bag down. “A dress made for a human will not fit me. I’ve got extra on my back and lacking something up front.”

Raph unzipped the bag, carefully pulling out a formal periwinkle dress with silver accents, and presented it to her. “When you and your sisters first arrived, I started modifying some of the dresses. This one should fit you.”

“Really?” Donna looked at the dress. “You want me to try it on?”

Taking a step back, Raph shrugged and cleared his throat. “You don’t have to. But if you were to put it on, it would,” look amazing, he thought, but said, “fit,” instead.

“I’ll put it on just to prove to you that I would look silly in it,” Donna stated, taking the dress from Raph. 

After placing her doll down, she bent over and started to step into the dress. Raph cleared his throat, causing her to pause. “It won’t look right if you’ve got all your gear on.”

Straightening up, Donna looked Raph in the eye. “Is this all a ploy to get me naked?”

Raph laughed, feeling as if a barrier had been broken. Was she actually flirting with him? “Technically, we’re already naked. The gear is more for practicality than modesty.”

“True,” Donna smiled and placed the dress over the back of a nearby chair so that she could remove her gear.

“I’m gonna get a few other things,” Raph said, darting off in excitement to search through his collection of accessories as she got dressed. With items in hand, Raph turned to make his way back to Donna. What he saw stopped him in his tracks. 

The sleeveless dress fit her as he had hoped it would and the color looked stunning against her olive-green skin. The thick straps crossed behind her neck, just above the shell and then dropped back down the sides to hold the dress in place, keeping the shell exposed. The neckline was low enough to show just the top of her plastron and the bodice was straight down her front. The long, ankle length skirt folded nicely over her hips and came up high enough in the back to fit under the lip of her carapace. He stood there gawking at her for so long that she started to blush. 

“I told you that I would look silly.”

Raph shook his head. “You look… amazing.”

“Really?” She sounded as if she didn’t believe him as she looked around the room. “Let me see for myself. Do you have a mirror?” 

“Not yet,” Raph said, regaining his composure. “If you don’t mind me getting a little handsy, I can add a few accents first to pull the whole outfit together.”

Donna’s already flushed skin darkened further and she gave a slight nod of approval. Standing still while Raph moved around her, she allowed him to work. He placed silver jewelry around her wrist, neck, ankle and bicep. Next he placed a small headdress on her that had parts that dangled down like earrings. For the final touches, Raph dusted her cheeks with a silver shimmer, accented her eyes with purple and silver liner, and highlighted her bottom lip with a shimmery gloss. 

Satisfied with the final result, he led her to a full mirror and stood her in front of it. “You’re beautiful.” 

“This doesn’t look horrible,” she said in disbelief. While she stood, transfixed by her image, Raph rushed over to put his suit on. Donna didn’t even notice he was missing, she was so taken aback by how she looked. 

“I’d like to think that’s how Turtle fashion would look, if that were a thing,” he replied as he tied his bowtie. “There’s no reason to hide the carapace. It’s actually quite appealing.”

“You actually find my shell appealing?” Donna asked, turning to look at him. She smiled at the sight of him in his suit. “You look nice.”

“Thank you,” he said, grinning back. “I didn’t want you to feel odd being the only one dressed up so I thought I would join you. And, yes, isn’t it the carapace that male turtles are usually attracted to? It would explain why there are so many YouTube videos of them humping anything dome shaped.”

“I suppose,” Donna said, chuckling softly.

“You wanna know something else I did while I was gathering things to impress a princess?” Raph walked over to the radio and turned it on. A song of unconditional love started to play with a melody that would suit his needs. Turning back to Donna, Raph held out his hand. “I taught myself how to dance.”

With a giggle, Donna reached out and took his hand. “Are you any good?”

“Let’s find out.” Pulling her body flush against his, he led her through the dance. There were a few missteps in the beginning due to nerves but they eventually managed to learn how to read one another. Before long he was able to incorporate more complex moves, dipping and spinning her in time to the music. 

Due to the size of Raph’s collection, there wasn’t a lot of room to move, but they made the most of the space they had. It was invigorating. For the first time in a long time he was able to forget his pain and find joy. 

The song ended and they both stopped, panting from both the exertion from dancing and the rush of endorphins. Caught up in the moment, he lowered his face closer to hers but caught himself the last second and pulled back. She was only here because she was settling for him, not because she was choosing him. “Sorry. I didn’t mean to….”

“It’s okay,” she said softly. They were still standing close and she rested her hands on his chest. “I wouldn’t have objected.” She looked up at him and he could feel her heart pounding. “I know you’re holding back… because…. Can we forget that I ever had that crush on Leo? Please? Neither of you are…,” she looked down, “how I assumed you would be.”

“We used to be,” Raph said. “I was everything you assumed I would be and, to be honest, who I used to be wouldn’t have wanted you either. Like you and Rachael, Donny and I didn’t like each other much when we were younger. We were too different. Going top side and fighting for our lives changed that.”

Donna had a distant look in her eyes as she thought. “I think I understand. When we were out on patrol the other night, Rachael… well… I didn’t expect her to be so protective. I thought she would laugh at me as I got beat up but the moment I started to falter, she rushed over to help me and then made sure I was okay.”

“Yeah,” Raph smiled. “I’m sure it surprised her as well. Seeing you in danger triggered something in her. If she is anything like me, the overwhelming need to keep her family safe is starting to grow inside her. I’m sure she’s even had a few nightmares of not getting to you in time but she’s not to the point yet where she’ll let you know that.”

Biting her bottom lip, Donna looked up at Raph. “You really didn’t have to stop.”

It took a moment for him to register what she meant but when it hit him, his heart skipped a beat. Looking down at her, he licked his lips before hesitantly leaning forward. Their lips met and then separated in a soft, closed mouth kiss. He closed his eyes as he moved in for a second and this time they stayed together longer.

Donna parted her lips and Raph deepened the kiss, his tongue plunging in and sliding against hers. Desire stirred within him but the pain pills in his system kept it from igniting. In that moment, he was elated while his heart broke and he mentally berated himself for becoming addicted to pain pills in the first place. 

When they parted, Donna sighed with a smile. “That was nice.”

“Yeah,” Raph agreed and then sucked his bottom lip. He wanted more. He could tell that she wanted more. She was starting to want him and he knew that he was unable to step up to the task. As joyous as this moment was supposed to be, it left him feeling sick with regret. 

Reluctantly, he pulled away from her. “I need to finish that last doll before April gets here. Why don’t you go tell Leah and Tello that you are willing to move into my room so they can be together. See if they are up for it.”

“Okay,” Donna replied with a slight nod. “I’m gonna go take this off first,” she chuckled awkwardly as she made her way off to the side to change.

Raph watched her as she removed the dress. That same desire stirred but he was too numb for it to become anything more. His body just wouldn’t respond. 

She washed the makeup from her face and then put on her gear. After collecting her doll, she headed to the door. “I’ll see you later.”

“I won’t be much longer,” he told her as he opened the door. “When I’m done here we can set everything else up in my… our room.”

“Okay,” she said softly before quickly kissing Raph and making her leave. 

Closing the door after her, Raph leaned against it. He wasn’t entirely sure what had just happened, his mind was still reeling from the kiss, but he knew one thing for certain. He needed to find a way to finally end his addiction.


	50. Deep Thought

Sliver stepped out of the kitchen with the kettle of hot water in one hand and two clean tea cups in the other. She paused when she saw Raphael carrying Donna’s Koto into his room while Tello carried a few of his personal belongings in to the room Leah was supposed to be sharing with Donna. 

Not quite sure how she felt about it yet, Sliver decided to continue on her way to the dojo to discuss it with Splinter. Together they would make a decision. 

It was no longer just Sliver’s decision to make. That was the biggest adjustment for her. For a little over seventeen years she had been a single parent of four girls. Now she is part of a parenting team and the number of children had more than doubled. It was best for everyone if Splinter and Sliver presented a united front in all things. So, all matters were discussed at length before any decisions were made. 

Sliver entered the dojo and made her way to the small table that Splinter had made ready. They set aside time together every day to drink tea and discuss important family matters, like what she had witnessed are her way here. 

She placed the tea pot and cups on the table. “It appears that Donna has decided to give Raphael a chance.”

Splinter paused as he was preparing to scoop some matcha powder into one of the cups. “What brought you to that conclusion?” he asked as he continued to carefully measure out the needed amount of the green tea powder. 

“The fact that she is moving into his room,” Sliver replied, trying to keep the irritation out of her voice as she poured water into one of the matcha filled cups. 

“Oh?” Splinter picked up the chasen and began to whisk his tea. She could tell that he was attempting to hide his smile. 

“Did they discuss this with you?” she asked as she whisked her own tea. 

Splinter shook his head. “They did not. They must have assumed that, since we allowed Rachael to move in with Leonardo and for Michelle to share a room with Michelangelo that it would be alright.”

Sliver brought her cup up to her nose so that she could inhale the aroma. It helped to calm her nerves. One benefit of having human friends was the ability to obtain such delicacies. She had gone so long without being able to indulge in something as simple as a well-prepared cup of tea. “So, we are alright with this turn of events?” she asked before taking a sip. 

“It was bound to happen eventually,” Splinter said. “We can reprimand them later for making such a move without discussing it with us first but I can see no reason to not allow it.”

“I worry about Raphael,” Sliver pointed out. “I am not sure of Donna’s reasons.”

Splinter’s ears drooped as he nodded his head. “If she is with him out of pity….”

“You and I know how such things turn out.” Sliver sighed. “I will discuss it with her. The last thing I want is to see Raphael hurt further from Donna’s good intentions.”

“And I will speak with Raphael,” Splinter said, keeping his eyes downcast as they filled with worry. The momentary joy he felt had faded over the prospect of how things might be. 

“With these new turn of events, I have a feeling that Rachael will not be the only one with fertile eggs come Spring,” Sliver said, wanting to lighten the mood. 

That drew a soft chuckle out of Splinter. “My sons will all make wonderful fathers.”

“They have a good role model. I know you are overjoyed that your sons have found love,” Sliver stated, setting her tea down on the table, “but they are too young to be starting families. They should take the time to enjoy simply being with one another.”

Splinter nodded his head in agreement. “What happened between Leonardo and Rachael cannot be undone. The others will take precautions. The best we can do now is support them. To try to keep them from being physical with one another at this point would be an exercise in futility.” 

“I remember what it was like to be young and in love,” Sliver admitted, smiling to herself as she lost herself to the memory. “I was only eighteen when I married.” She looked up and saw a warm smile on Splinter’s face. “Have you ever been in love?”

Splinter shook his head. “Not romantically. I was a young rat when I was taken in as a pet by my Master Yoshi. I witnessed his love for Shen and it brought me joy. After my master’s death, I was too heartbroken to do anything other than wander and kept my distance from other rats. After we were mutated, my focus was on the boys.”

“If I may?” Sliver casually asked, waiting for Splinter to nod before continuing. “Why is it that you have not expressed an interest in me?”

“It never occurred to me,” Splinter answered honestly. “I had given up on the prospect of ever finding a partner and suppressed the desire a long time ago. Besides that, I would not presume that a courtship would be welcome. Aside from the fact that I am considerably older, you were once human and so are not naturally inclined to be attracted to a rat.”

“Oh.” Sliver lifted her cup to her lips and took a sip. After savoring the delectable blend of bitter and sweet, she set her cup down again. “I would not object,” she said as a matter of fact. 

“I am not your only option,” Splinter pointed out. “If it is companionship you seek, there are younger mutated men within the ranks of the Foot who would find you attractive.”

“I enjoy your company,” Sliver countered before taking another sip. 

Looking down in thought, a brief smile spread across Splinter’s face but it soon faded. “It would not be fair to you. I am old.”

Sliver reached out to grab Splinter’s hand. “The attraction I feel for you looks past the physical. I have found a kindred spirit in you and I look forward to the times we set aside to spend together.”

“As do I,” Splinter admitted. 

“Then why don’t we open this up and see how far it goes,” Sliver proposed. 

Smiling, Splinter looked her in the eyes. “I would like that.”

….

Donna placed the small box containing her few possessions on the floor and then looked around the room. Raph’s hammock was in the middle, covered in blankets and pillows. It was large and looked relatively new as opposed to something he had found at the junk yard. 

There were free weights in the corner along with a bench. The pack-and-play for Snow was pushed against the wall closest to the hammock. A small table sat next to it with a children’s night lamp on it and Disney Princess wall clings decorated the wall above it. Storage containers were stacked in various spots throughout the room, probably containing clothes and other items Raph had collected over the years. 

This was happening, Donna thought to herself. Raph wasn’t what she had first expected him to be. Maybe if she took the time to really get to know him, she might actually love him. Only time will tell. At least the idea of being with him was no longer a dreadful thing. 

“We can put one of the tatami over here,” Raph said, pointing to a relatively clear area. “I can move some things around, give you your own area that you can do anything you want to.”

“Where did Tello sleep?” Donna asked, noting that there was only the hammock. “Did he move his tatami to the room he’s gonna share with Leah?”

“He slept in the hammock with me,” Raph replied. “He was having nightmares when he first got here. Having someone to sleep next to helped with that.”

Donna looked the hammock over and shrugged. “It’s big enough. Can’t I just sleep next to you?”

Raph’s skin darkened as he stammered for a moment before managing to answer. “You don’t have to… I mean I know you don’t….”

“It’s okay,” Donna said, cutting him off. “We’re together now, so I might as well.”

“Whatever you want,” Raph said with a slight nod of his head. 

“I want this to work,” Donna said in all honesty. She also wanted to help him but she didn’t know yet how she was going to broach the subject. She wanted to know the real him, who he was before he was broken. She saw a glimpse of him earlier that day, the cocky and brazen personality that was hidden beneath the shattered surface. 

“So do I,” Raph said, walking over to her. She could see that the more she opened up to him, the more he opened up to her. “I’m terrified of saying or doing the wrong thing. I feel like I’m on thin ice.”

“Oh.” Donna felt her heart sink a little. “I don’t mean to make you feel that way. This isn’t a, one mistake and I’m done, kind of thing. I want you to act the way that you would if you though this was a sure thing.”

“Really?” A cocky smile played across Raph’s lips but didn’t linger. “You sure?”

Donna nodded and that was all that was needed for Raph to gain the confidence to pull her into a kiss. Her lips parted and he deepened the kiss, twisting his tongue around hers. The kiss alone was enough to make Donna’s head spin but then Raph started to rake his fingers along her carapace. She understood in that moment how her sisters could fall so quickly into his brothers’ beds. She would have willingly parted her legs for him. 

A knock at the open door had them hastily parting. Donna was so worked up that she was willing to bite the head off of whoever had interrupted them but then she saw that it was her mother standing in doorway and all of that hormonal rage fell away. 

“Mother?” Donna was already flushed from the kiss but the embarrassment of being caught made her face feel like it was on fire. 

“I would like to talk to you,” Sliver said in a calm voice. “Come with me.”

Donna followed her mother without hesitation. As they left the room, Splinter stepped inside. She heard Raphael acknowledge his father as she made her way up the stairs. 

Sliver led Donna to the dojo and then back into her room. Donna’s heart pounded as she knelt on the floor. Sliver was hard to read, so Donna couldn’t tell if she was angry or not. Whatever her mother was feeling, Donna was about to find out. 

“Whose idea was this move and why did you not clear it with either me or Splinter?” Sliver’s voice held an air of accusation. 

“It was my idea,” Donna confessed. “I figured that since Leah and Tello were together that they would want to share a room. I thought it would be okay since you let Rachael move in with Leo and Michelle move in with Mikey.”

“Splinter assumed as much. I would have preferred that you ask us first,” Sliver stated. 

“I’m sorry,” Donna said, looking down at the ground. 

“More importantly,” Sliver sighed, “are you alright?”

“Yes,” Donna answered as she looked up at her mother. Why would she feel the need to ask that?

“This is something you want?” There was concern in Sliver’s voice and it started to make sense. Donna nodded in response and Sliver started to pace. “I want you to be sure. I would hate for you to feel pressured into doing something you do not want to do. Though I know it would not be your intention, I do not want to see Raphael hurt as a result. He has been through enough.” She stopped pacing and looked Donna in the eyes. “Don’t do this unless you are absolutely sure.”

“I won’t hurt him,” Donna insisted as her eyes filled with tears. It hurt a little that, in a way, she was being seen as the bad guy. “I don’t hold a torch for Leo and I have no desire to be with Mikey, Donny, or Tello. I don’t hate the idea of being with Raph. There are things about him that I do like. This whole thing was my idea.”

“You are a nurturer, Donna, and I know you are willing to set your own feelings aside to help others. If you’re with him out of pity or because you have resigned yourself to the relationship, he will feel it.” Sliver knelt down in front of Donna and reached out to grab both of her hands. “In the end, that will hurt him more than simply rejecting him.”

“That’s not what’s happening,” Donna maintained her conviction. 

“Alright,” Sliver said as she stood. “As long as you’re sure. You may go.”

Donna wasn’t convinced that her mother believed her but she didn’t want to argue with her about it either. If she was honest with herself, she wasn’t sure she believed what she was saying. “Thank you, mother,” Donna said, bowing her head before standing. She was going to have to prove herself by actions. 

As she left Sliver’s room, she saw Splinter setting up his area to meditate. Whatever he had to say to Raphael must have been just as concise as Sliver’s lecture. 

She made her way back to the bedroom and, when she entered, saw a tatami on the floor. Raphael was in the corner, lifting large free weights. Splinter’s words must have nourished the seed of doubt that was planted in Raph’s head. 

“Why is the tatami there?” Donna asked as she closed the door. “I thought I was going to sleep in the hammock with you. Why did you change your mind?” She had a feeling that she already knew the answer but she wanted to hear him say it. 

“It’d be better…,” Raph mumbled, keeping his back to her. “You’re here because you think it’s me or nothing. I know… you don’t… love me…. It’d be better that you don’t sleep in the hammock with me until you do.”

“Fair enough,” Donna choked out. Her chest felt tight. She hated the fact that she was causing someone so much pain. “But if you want me to fall in love with you then you can’t keep moping around. We need to spend time together. Remember, we’re treating this like it’s a sure thing.”

“But it’s not,” Raph pointed out. “You have other options. You could end up falling for one of the mutated Foot soldiers.”

“I’ve met all of them,” Donna countered. “I’m not interested.”

“I can’t give you kids,” Raph said in an attempt to give her another reason to leave. 

Donna shrugged and waved it off. “My sisters will have plenty. Before we know it, we’ll be up to our eyeballs in kids. They don’t need me contributing to that mess.”

“I’m a mess,” Raph said, his voice raw with emotion. “You deserve better.”

“Then be better,” she challenged him. Determined, she made her way across the room to stand in front of him. Her heart pounded in her chest, she wasn’t used to being so bold but she wanted him to look at her. “I know you’re afraid of being hurt again but at least try.”

“I want to be but I’m addicted to pain pills,” Raph blurted out. “I’m broken.” His one good eye filled with tears as he waited for her to react. He looked as if he was expecting her to run for the door.

Caught off guard, Donna didn’t know what to do. She wasn’t expecting him to confess. Part of her knew that he did because he was testing her resolve and he desperately wanted help. When she didn’t say anything, Raph continued. “I’ve tried to quit but I get sick whenever I don’t take them and I don’t want my family to know. I’m too ashamed.”

“I won’t tell them,” Donna heard herself promising. She was so overwhelmed that she felt numb and her mind was on autopilot. “We’ll figure something out.”

A look of relief washed over Raph’s face as he fell to his knees. “Thank you.”


	51. Two Roads

He was running down a back alleyway, trying to get away but his legs wouldn’t work. They were close. He could hear them. He thought he knew where he was but the streets were wrong. When he tried to use his shell-cell, it didn’t work. 

As he fumbled with the buttons, something grabbed him. 

Raphael woke with a start, reaching out only to find himself alone in the hammock. He had gotten used to having someone sleeping next to him so now sleeping alone felt off. There was a void that caused his dreams to be disturbing. 

Looking across the room, he noticed that Donna was also awake, sitting up and looking at him. 

“You were having a nightmare,” she said softly. 

“I woke you,” Raph whispered, regretfully. “I’m sorry.”

Donna shook her head as she got to her feet. “I can’t sleep. I’m not used to sleeping alone.” She walked over to the hammock and nudged Raph. “Scoot over.”

“We talked about this,” Raph replied, not moving. “Go back to your bed.”

“Move over,” she said, shoving him. “I’m not sleeping alone on the floor. Besides, it seems that you aren’t having an easy time sleeping alone either.” Even though he still didn’t move, Donna started to get in the hammock anyway. “I’ll sleep on top of you if I have to.”

“Fine,” Raph grunted, finally scooting out of the way. 

“Oh, don’t act like this is putting you off,” she scoffed as she settled beneath the blankets. 

“The problem isn’t me being put off,” he stated. 

“I want to be here,” Donna insisted. 

“You pity me,” Raph countered. He closed his eye as the memory of his earlier confession echoed in his head. “There is no other reason for you to still be here.” His eye snapped open and he hissed in pain when Donna smacked his arm. 

“Knock that off,” Donna said in a harsh whisper. “If I didn’t have some feelings for you I would have walked out that door and told your father what was going on with you the moment you told me.”

“Why didn’t you?” Raph whispered. 

“Several reasons,” Donna replied, rubbing the hand she had used to hit him. “I knew your confession was a test as well as a cry for help. I don’t want to hurt you and I know how devastating it would be for you if your family found out. You reached out to me, I’m not about to slap your hand away.”

Raph’s chest tightened as he fought the urge to cry. “But why do you care? You didn’t want me.”

“I didn’t,” Donna agreed, followed by a brief silence as she thought. “But that was before I started to get to know you. I’ve matured a little in the past few months. Besides that,” she mumbled, snuggling down against Raph, “I’m starting to like the way you smell.”

Raph chuckled, despite the way he was feeling. “My smell?”

“Don’t laugh at me,” Donna playfully pouted. “Turtles are drawn by scent and the longer I’m close to you the more I understand how Rachael and Leo lost control.” The subtle innuendos in her statement were not lost on Raph. He could tell by her scent that she was aroused and it pained him that he could do nothing for it.

“I know.” Raph pressed his beak to the top of her head and breathed in her scent. It was powerful. “If I wasn’t so numb all the time, your scent would be driving me wild. There’s more than one reason I can’t give you kids.”

Donna rested her hand on Raph’s hip. “We could try.” 

“I can’t,” Raph choked out, shaking his head though her touch did manage to stir his desire enough to make his tail twitch.

“It’s the drugs,” Donna said, bringing her hand up to caress his cheek. “Once they’re out of your system and you’ve had a chance to heal, it won’t be a problem anymore.”

Raph turned his head so that he could look her in the eye. “What if it is?” 

“Then it would be purely psychological,” Donna stated as a matter of fact. “I’ve read your file. There is no medical reason why it shouldn’t work.”

“But what if I can’t?” Raph persisted. 

Donna traced her finger along the scars on Raph’s plastron. “If you are concerned about being able to keep me satisfied, there are other things you can do.” 

“Would you like me to?” Raph asked, placing his hand on the back of her thigh. She tensed and he immediately regretted the proposition. He honestly though that’s what she was suggesting. “I’m sorry.” He removed his hand. “I got a little carried away.”

“No… I….” She hid her face against his chest and he could feel the heat radiating from her face. “I… want you to,” she said in a small voice as her whole body trembled. 

Confused, Raph asked, “Are you sure? I’m getting mixed signals here.”

“I’m just nervous,” she blurted out, her voice mumbled by his chest. “I’ve never done anything like this before.”

“I can’t do anything with you balled up like you are,” Raph said. 

Keeping her face planed against Raph plastron, Donna shifted her hips and tentatively parted her legs. Raph slid his hand between them and ran his finger along the underside of her still tucked tail. She tensed but didn’t fight as he eased it down. 

She was already wet so Raph’s finger slipped effortlessly inside. He found her swollen clitoris and began to swirl his finger along the sensitive flesh. Her body stilled but her breathing started to intensify as tiny hums escaped her otherwise silent form. 

She gave no indication one way or the other if he was doing it right. He couldn’t tell if her heavy breathing and twitching was from nerves or pleasure. She was hard to read. Then, he felt her begin to pulsate around his finger and she started to kiss his neck. 

“Was that it?” he asked, keeping his finger inside her. It was hard to tell for sure. She nodded and let out a satisfied hum. “Okay.” He kissed the top of her head. “You good or would you like me to continue?”

“Um…” she replied in a breathless whisper. 

Raph moved his finger in small circles. “More?”

Donna gasped for breath and her legs parted a little further. Then she started shifting her hips slightly. That was different than before. Raph stopped. “What?”

“A little deeper,” she mumbled, keeping her face hidden.

“Okay.” He slid his finger in further and continued. He eventually added his other finger and pressed his thumb to the base of her tail, eliciting a full body shiver. Then her body tensed as a slight whimper escaped her. As she began to relax, she once again peppered his neck with small kisses. 

When he pulled his fingers from her, he was inundated with her scent. It stirred the desire within him enough for him to move on top of her. In that moment, he thought that maybe he could do it. She did not fight him as he settled between her legs and touched his tail to hers. She trembled in anticipation and it further fueled his need. 

He pressed inside and began to move, slowly at first but it wasn’t enough so picked up the pacing. 

With her nose buried in the nape of his neck, Donna trembled and softly moaned. He could feel her inner walls beating against him but their soft warmth wasn’t enough. 

“I can’t,” he choked out as he continued to try. “I want to but I can’t.”

“It’s okay,” Donna soothed, running her fingers along the back of his neck. 

Giving up with a frustrated grunt, Raph fell into the hammock next to her. Fighting his tears, he curled around Donna and kissed her cheek. “You okay? You’re satisfied?”

“Yeah,” she whispered back, bringing her hand up to cup his lower jaw and caressed his cheek with her thumb. “Everything is gonna be okay. I’m gonna help you through this. Then we’ll be able to enjoy this together.” She leaned in and kissed his nose. “Try to get some sleep.”

Disappointed in himself, Raph did his best to quiet his thoughts enough to sleep. 

The next morning, Raph awoke to a soft kiss on the cheek. He opened his eye to see Donna smiling down at him. He smiled back. He couldn’t think of anything better to wake up to. 

“Come on,” she said as she got down out of the hammock. 

“You go ahead.” Raph stretched his aching muscles. “I take a few minutes to get going.”

“You need to take a pill.” It was not a question but there was also no accusation in her tone. It was simply a statement of fact. 

Raph closed his eye and nodded. “I’d rather you not be in here when I did.”

“No sense in hiding it,” Donna said as she looked around the room. “Where do you keep them?”

“Please,” Raph rasped out. Even though she knew about it, he didn’t want to flaunt it in front of her. 

“I need to know what you are taking and how much,” Donna stated flatly. “That way I can plan for your detox.” She walked over to the hammock and once again cupped his jaw and caressed his cheek. “What were you planning on doing, initially, to get yourself off the drugs?”

“After the Nexus, I was gonna run off, hide somewhere and let it run its course,” Raph answered. “I’ve already been hording supplies where I plan on staying.”

“That’s dumb,” Donna replied, patting his cheek. “Doing it by yourself is dangerous. You would be vulnerable. You could get hurt or hurt yourself. That’s not happening.”

Raph took a deep breath and let it out slowly. “Then what do you suggest? I can’t do it here. My family will find out. And I’m not telling anyone else.”

“We’ll run off together,” Donna said. “I’ll be with you to help you through it and keep you safe.”

Raph shook his head. “I don’t want you to see me like that.” This relationship was flimsy enough as it was. Would she be willing to stick around if he lashed out at her in a withdraw induced rage? He didn’t want to risk it. “I’ll go alone.”

“Here’s the thing,” Donna defiantly stated, crossing her arms over her plastron. “Either I go with you or I tell your family but you are not doing this alone. Those are your choices.”

Raph couldn’t help but smile. There was the spunk and sass he knew she was capable of having. She was digging in her heels and there was no way she was going to shy away from this. “Pull out the bottom drawer of the dresser. The pills are on the floor in the corners.”

Donna left Raph’s line of site but he could hear her searching for the pills. The rattle of one of the bottles told him that she had been successful. “There’s different doses in here. How many of these do you take?”

“One of the higher doses or two of the lower ones,” Raph answered. “It normally last me until after practice.”

“Where do you get them?” She asked as if the thought had just occurred to her.

Raph shifted a little in the hammock as he struggled to find his voice. “I take them from the Purple Dragons.”

Donna stayed silent for a moment and Raph was sure he had finally reached her breaking point. But, then she appeared next to the hammock with a pill in her hand. “You are going to have to make these last because you are not going out to get anymore. I’ll make sure of that, even if I have to attach myself to your hip.”

Raph took the pill from her and dry swallowed it. “I’ve got enough to get me through the Battle Nexus. You and I can leave as soon as we get back; get it over with.”

“Okay,” Donna said as she turned to leave. “We’ve got a plan.”

Raph liked this side of Donna.


	52. Fortitude

The bags had been packed for weeks. Casey’s mother was staying with them to help run the store and would stay for as long as April needed after the babies were born. 

It had been decided that it would be best to deliver the twins via a caesarian section to prevent complications. April was monitored regularly, with weekly visits to both her doctor and a specialist. The goal was for her to make it to at least thirty-five weeks. Any sign of labor and she would have been rushed to the hospital. 

To help increase her chances, April used the breathing exercises that she had learned from Splinter to reduce her stress. Luck would have it, she made it to the goal with few problems. She thought she had gone into labor once but it turned out to be nothing more than false labor pains. 

Her cesarean section was scheduled for ten o’clock so she had to be at the hospital at least two hours early to get ready. April had her list of everything she would need to take with her. She had set everything out the night before and double checked it in the morning. 

Nerves kept them quiet on the way to the hospital and Casey was extra cautious in the way he drove. April looked behind her at the back seats. The car seats were already in place, expertly put in by someone at the local fire department. 

The whole time the man worked, April thanked him for his help and apologized for being a bother. He assured her that it was no problem at all and that he wished more people would be like her. There were few things more heartbreaking than seeing a life lost over an improperly installed car seat. 

The hospital staff was ready for them and they didn’t have to wait long before they were escorted to the room where they would prep her for surgery. April removed all of her clothes, placing them in a bag before slipping into the hospital gown. She then got up on the bed and waited while Casey filled out some paperwork. 

A nurse came in checked April’s temperature and blood pressure before inserting and I.V. in April’s hand. Several hospital bracelets were placed on April’s wrists, including the electronic security device for her babies. The nurse then placed a heart monitor on April’s finger and made sure all the devices were working properly before taking her leave. 

The anesthesiologist was the next to come into the room. He instructed April to sit up with her back towards him. The large man had to raise the bed to its maximum height so that he could be at the right level to insert the epidural in April’s back. Casey pulled a chair up so that he could sit in front of April. The bed was so high that April was able to comfortably rest her feet in Casey’s lap.

April held tight to Casey’s hand while the doctor worked. She squeezed each time he injected the local anesthetic around her spine. He spoke to her as he worked, letting her know what he was doing. Though it was explained to her, the sensation of the needle sliding along her spine was nauseating. 

Her grip on Casey’s hand had her knuckles turning white and his fingers turning purple, but he didn’t complain. He used his free hand to caress her cheek as he whispered up to her, “You’re doing great.”

“Done,” the doctor said as he placed a large protective cover over the epidural. “You can lie back down.”

It was nerve wracking to lie down knowing that there was a needle in her back, despite the fact that she knew it was flexible and would bend with her. Satisfied with his work, the doctor left to make sure the operating room was ready. 

As she waited for the drugs to take effect, another nurse entered the room to make sure that her pelvic region was clean shaven. She made quick work with an electric razor, cleaned up, and was gone in under a minute. 

After a few minutes, the first nurse entered the room. Placing her hand over April’s legs, she said, “Touch my hand with your foot.”

Try as she might, her leg would not lift. “I can’t,” April admitted. 

The nurse smiled. “The epidural is working.”

Casey was instructed to put on his scrubs and to make sure that all of his hair was secured and under the cap. By the time he was done, another nurse entered the room and, along with the other nurse, wheeled April out. 

Keeping her eyes on the ceiling, April concentrated on her breathing. In just a few moments, her babies would be born. 

The operating room was cold and several people were in the room, including the specialist, the anesthesiologist, and April’s obstetrician.

The nurses wheeled Aprils bed next to the operating table. “We’re going to move you over now,” one of them said. “We need you to cross your arms over your chest.”

April did as she was instructed and the nurses rolled her onto her side, frightfully close to the edge of the bed as they slid a board under her. Though the small nurse standing between April and the floor gave words of reassurance, April couldn’t help but doubt that she would be able to do anything if she did start to fall. 

April didn’t have to fear for long. The medical team had her on her back and over on the operation table before the panic could set in.

A large curtain was put in place to block April’s view and Casey was directed to have a seat at her head. Someone placed a blanket over her upper body to help keep her warm and turned on a fan that blew warm air into it. Then, the doctors tested her one last time to make sure she couldn’t feel anything before they began. 

The scent of her own burning flesh filled the air. Casey, without prompt, reached over and held her nose for her since she wasn’t supposed to move. It was the little things that Casey did that showed how much he cared. 

Even though she was numb, April could still feel a slight tugging. It was a strange sensation that lasted for a few moments before she heard the sound of a baby crying. 

“We’ve got the girl,” one of the doctors announced. 

April looked up at Casey and saw him trying to get a look at their daughter. “Go,” April said with a soft smile. “Take a picture of her first moments and then come back to tell me how perfect she is.”

“Right. Pictures,” Casey said, getting to his feet as he dug his phone out of his pocket. 

There was more tugging, followed by the sound of the second baby’s cries. The doctor looked over the curtain at her. “We’re almost done. How do you feel?”

“Eager to see my babies,” April answered honestly. 

Casey returned, sitting back down at April’s head and holding out his phone. There were two sets of tiny foot prints on his scrubs. “They are both beautiful and so small.” He flipped through the pictures for her to see. “They even let me take a little video.” 

A nurse appeared with one of the babies in her arms. “Here’s the girl. We’re going to take her to the nursery to get her cleaned up and run a few tests. We’ll have her ready by the time you’re in your room.” 

True to her word, as soon as April was settled in her recovery room, the nurse brought the baby. “No one is to take this baby from the room besides you or a nurse and it must be in the bassinet,” the nurse instructed. “The nurse has to have a badge like this one. Any time she is brought to you, we will check her bracelet and yours. This one here,” the nurse pointed to the electronic bracelet on April’s wrist, “will also let us know that she is yours.”

The nurse placed the tightly swaddled baby in April’s arms and a short melody played. “If she was the wrong baby, the song would not have played and we would have heard a soft buzzing sound. This also works as a security device. If anyone were to try to take her, they would not get very far. We have sensors at all exits and the elevator. The floor would go on lockdown if she was taken anywhere near them.”

“That’s good to know,” April said, studding her daughter’s face. The nurse had no idea the kind of people who would go to great lengths to get their hands on her. 

“We take security seriously,” the nurse assured her. There was a small part of April that worried if it was enough. 

“When will I see my son?” April asked, trying not to linger on her fear. She wanted nothing more than to see both of her babies, to know that they are both okay and safe.

“As soon as the specialists are done with him,” the nurse replied. “They shouldn’t be much longer.”

“Thank you,” April said. 

The nurse had April roll over to her side so that she could remove the epidural. “It will take a little while for the drugs to wear off. We want you up and walking around again as soon as possible. I’ll be back in in a little while to remove the catheter. Don’t try to get up until then. If you need anything more, press the button,” the nurse instructed.

“We’re gonna have to settle on a name,” Casey pointed out after the nurse left. He sat down on the edge of the bed and looked down at the baby. “Jones baby one isn’t gonna cut it for long.”

“I’ve been thinking about that,” April said as she ran her fingers along her daughter’s head. She had a full head of dark brown hair. “I want to name her after you.”

“My legal name?” Casey said, making a face. “I don’t think I like the idea of her being named Arnoldina or something like that.”

April giggled. “I was thinking something more along the lines of Cassey.”

“I like that.” Casey smiled. “What about the boy?”

“To keep up with my family tradition, I was thinking Octavius,” April said and waited for Casey’s feedback. 

“His initials would be OJ,” Casey pointed out. 

“You’re right.” April shook her head. “Octavius is out.”

“You can name him August, after your favorite uncle,” Casey offered. “AJ is a lot better than OJ.”

“August it is,” April said with a laugh. “And AJ is a cute nickname.” 

April undid Cassey’s swaddle to get a good look at her. She was so small that the shirt she wore was loose. The diaper was folded down so it wasn’t touching the umbilical cord which was clamped off. Cassey whimpered at being exposed to the cooler air so April lifted her up to rest her on her chest. She knew skin to skin was good for the baby and she craved it herself. “Did you send pictures to the guys?”

“Yeah. They said they will visit after they get back from the Nexus. They wanted to give us some time to get settled.” Before April had the chance to lift the blanket to cover Cassey, Casey leaned over to look at the baby’s back. “She’s got a birth mark,” he said, pulling down the shirt.

“She does?” April looked down and sure enough, there was a mark about the size of a quarter on the left side of her back. 

Casey ran his finger over the mark. “Do you think it’s the scar she carried over from her past life?”

“It’s possible,” April said, with a slight nod as she brought the blanket up. “I wouldn’t doubt it. Fortunately, that seems to be the extent of it for her, unlike her brother.”

“Here we go,” a nurse announced as she came into the room, pushing the second basinet. As the nurse maneuvered the cart to the side of April’s bed, the specialist entered the room. 

April passed Cassey to Casey and then held out her arms for August. The nurse had anticipated this and was already in the process of checking the medical tags. She lifted August from the basinet and handed him to April. The short song played. 

“I’ll be back to check on you later,” she said before tuning to leave. 

April smiled down at her son. She found humor in the fact that his thick red hair stuck out in every direction. Through the blanket, April could feel the braces around August’s torso and legs and wondered how it was that he could sleep with all that equipment on. 

She listened with rapt attention as the specialist went over their plan to straighten August’s spine and legs. April was able to breathe a sigh of relief when the doctor said that it didn’t look like he would need surgery to correct them. 

Both April and Casey were instructed to remove and put on the braces several times, until the doctor was satisfied that they would get it right. The hardest part was doing it all while August cried. She wanted to stop what they were doing and pick him up to comfort him. But, it was important that they learned how to do it. So, she strengthened her resolve and got it done. 

They were given books to read and instructed to make an appointment in one month so that August could be fitted with the next set of braces. He was going to go through several as he continued to grow before his spine and legs were corrected.

The specialist left and the nurse returned to remove April’s catheter and instructed her to stand. April wasn’t sure if her legs were ready but the nurse insisted that it had to be done. “We don’t want you forming a blood clot. You need to get up and moving. The rest of the drugs will exit your system faster if you move.” 

Her legs felt like she had been sitting on them for too long but at least they supported her weight. She shuffled her feet from one end to the room to the next. When she got back to the bed she had more feeling in her legs but she was exhausted. The day’s events were catching up with her so she lay back down and decided to get some rest. 

The sound of one of the babies grunting drew April from her lite sleep. She opened her eyes to see Casey’s mom holding August. With a smile on her face, Casey’s mom reached out to grab hold of April’s hand. “They are beautiful. You did good, April.” She looked down at the baby in her arms. “He’s a fighter like his dad, I can tell. He’s not gonna let this hold him back for long.”

Squeezing her mother in law’s hand, April nodded. He had chosen her to be his mother and she was determined to makes sure that he got a chance at a full life.


	53. Magic

Waking up every morning next to Michelle was a dream come true for Michelangelo. She was his perfect soulmate. Kissing her neck, he took in her intoxicating scent and he ached with desire. 

“Mikey,” Michelle hummed. “Your penis is touching my leg.”

“You know you have that effect on me.” Mikey licked her neck and the rolled on to his carapace. “Help me out before we go to breakfast?”

Every morning was the same, not that Mikey was complaining. An orgasm every morning was nothing to gripe about. He would wake up with an erection and Michelle would jerk him off. It was enough to satisfy the desire. In return, Mikey would go down on her. It was win, win. And, it was worth getting up early for. 

“You know we can have sex,” Michelle pointed out as she turned to her side and grabbed hold of Mikey’s cock. “This is fun and all but I wanna know what it’s like to have you inside me.” She pouted and pressed her body against his. “Please.”

Mikey churred, instinctively bucking his hips. “No. I’m not ready to have kids.”

“Thanks to Donny, we have condoms,” Michelle argued in sing song. 

“Thanks to Tello, we know that there are Turtles from across the multiverse, including Tello’s brothers, who want to be given a second chance at life. The universe or fate or whatever is making it so we do that for them.” Mikey shook his head. “We have sex, that condom will break. It’s best not to risk it.”

Michelle’s hand paused and she looked down at him, making a face. “Really?”

“Don’t give me that look,” Mikey teased before bringing her down into a kiss, the sensation making it hard to resist the urge to mount her. Pulling out of the kiss, Mikey looked up into her eyes. “I’ve had more experience in the way this crazy universe works. This isn’t easy for me. I want you so much it hurts. It’s just, I want to be able to enjoy a little more alone time with you before we add kids into the mix.”

“We start having sex after this next clutch?” Michelle pleaded. “That would give us at least another year if a condom does end up breaking.”

“Okay,” Mikey agreed, placing his hand over hers to encourage her to start moving it again. “Until then, we’ll keep doing this. This is good.”

Taking the hint, Michelle redoubled her effort to get Mikey off. As good as it felt, it was getting harder for Mikey to climax this way; his body demanded more. Damn you, universe, he thought to himself. 

To help things along, Michelle licked along the petals of Mikey’s tip. Mikey churred at the soft addition to his most sensitive area. She really was the best thing to ever happen to him. 

“I’m cumming,” Mikey warned her, white knuckling the sheets as he neared his peak. 

Michelle pulled her face back and placed her hand over his tip in an attempt to contain his ejaculate. Cum coated both of her hands and trickled down his shaft. The sweet release of the orgasm helped calm his desires, for now. 

After a quick cleaning at the sink, it was Michelle’s turn. Mikey settled between her legs and licked her tail, tip to base. She hummed as his tongue flicked across her cloaca. Pressing his lips against her slit, Mikey penetrated her with his tongue and got to work stimulating her clitoris. 

Her feet rested on his shoulders and her toes gripped the lip of his shell. She whimpered softly and caressed the back of his head, occasionally gasping as he brought her closer to completion. He could feel her pulsate against his tongue when she climaxed and her legs trembled as he continued to stimulate her throughout her orgasm. 

When he felt her start to relax, Mikey pressed a soft kiss to her inner thigh before pulling away. “Good?”

Biting her bottom lip, she smiled up at him and nodded. “Yeah.”

Mikey got off the bed and then assisted Michelle up. Then, after a quick look to make sure no one was around, the pair made a mad dash up the stairs and too the showers. 

Upon opening the door, they were greeted with a deep groan. “You better not be having sex in here,” Mikey called out, entering the bathroom. “You have a room for that.”

“We’re not,” Donna called back, sounding perturbed. She walked into view with a scrub brush in hand. “I’m scrubbing his shell and hit a tender spot.” It brought a smile to Mikey’s face knowing that Raph and Donna had gotten closer in the weeks since they started to share a room. They spent a lot of their free time together. 

It led Mikey to wonder if they were taking a morning shower for the same reason he and Michelle were. If they didn’t, the scent that lingered would broadcast to the lair their actions of that morning. 

“Mind if we join you then?” Mikey said, heading back towards the shower. Glancing over towards his brother, he noticed that Raph didn’t look well. “You gonna be up for the fight today, bro?”

Today was the day that they were to head into the Nexus. Mikey was beside himself with excitement and nerves. He had a championship to defend and a new girlfriend to impress. 

“I’ll be fine,” Raph waved him off. “I’m just a little stiff. Nothing a good soak in the hot tub won’t fix.”

“I am so excited to go into the Nexus,” Michelle said as she turned on the shower. “I know we’re not gonna be able to fight but it’s going to be awesome watching you guys and seeing all the different kinds of people. Mikey tells me that the Daimyo is a super big guy.”

Raph chuckled. “He is impressive.”

“What’s more impressive is the statue of me,” Mikey boasted and struck a pose. “I’m the only one out of my brothers who has won the Battle Nexus Tournament.”

Raph groaned. “It was six years ago, and he still won’t shut up about it.” He turned to face Mikey. “The only reason you won was because Leo was poisoned and knocked out of the running.”

“I beat you though.” Mikey grinned as he stepped under the water. “Fair and square. And if you don’t get yourself loosened up, I’m gonna kick your tail again this year. Don’t think I’m gonna go easy on you.”

“Oh, I hope I get paired with you,” Raph growled. “Give me a chance to smack that grin off your face.”

“Come on, Raph.” Donna tugged on his arm to get his attention from Mikey. It was amazing how quickly his features softened at the sound of her voice. “Don’t let him get you worked up. Let’s get you soaking in the hot tub.” 

Ignoring Mikey, Raph allowed Donna to guide him to the hot tub. Who’d have thought that it would take such a soft voice to get Raph to listen? 

After their shower, Mikey and Michelle headed to the kitchen for breakfast. It was Leo’s turn to cook so Mikey knew it was gonna be something good. Due to the fact that there were more of them now, they doubled up on their kitchen duties. So, Rachael was also in the kitchen, helping Leo with the task. 

Mikey stood back and watched them work. In his mind, it was perfection. Leo was the one in charge and Rachael followed his instructions to the letter. There were times she questioned him or offered a different option. He would listen to her and take her words to heart. She helped to make him think beyond his routine and see things in a different way. He kept her from making a mess of it all.

It was good for them. Leo was the kind of guy to get stuck in a rut or would bind himself to the instructions set before him. While Rachael was the type to think outside of the box but sometimes to the point of being reckless. Their personalities were supposed to clash but as long as they both kept a level head, they could help each other grow and improve. 

Breakfast consisted of several different quiches and a fruit salad with a tangy yogurt dressing. The conversation focused mainly on the Nexus and what to expect. 

Mikey playfully made a jab at Donny for deciding to get pregnant so that he would have an excuse not to participate in the fighting. “Got tired of getting knocked out in the early rounds?”

“Very funny,” Donny replied snidely. “My priorities are different than yours. I have no desire to ‘prove’ myself in an arena.” 

“If you say so,” Mikey shrugged. 

“Oh.” Raph snapped his fingers as he remembered something. He dug his shell-cell out of his belt. “Casey sent me a pic of the twins early this morning.”

After pressing a few buttons, Raph passed his phone to Donny, on his right. “They’re beautiful,” Donny said, looking the image over before passing the phone to Leatherhead. 

The phone made its way around the table and back to Raph. As he tucked it back into his belt, he said, “We have to go see them as soon as we get back from the Nexus.”

Donny nodded. “Barring any complications, April and the babies should be released from the hospital by then.”

“She’s probably going to insist that we are all spotlessly clean,” Donna pointed out. 

“There’s a shower we can use when we get there,” Leo said. “We’ll have to go in one at a time but that’s the best we can do.”

“It’ll keep us from crowding around the babies,” Leah said. “We’ll have to draw straws for who gets to go first.”

“Raph’s Casey’s best friend,” Mikey stated. “He should get to go in first to see the babies then Tello since they are reincarnated from his friends. The rest of us will draw straws for who gets to follow after.”

Leah smiled. “I was more concerned about the hot water.” Her comment earning a few hearty chuckles. 

After breakfast, it was Mikey and Michelle’s turn to do the dishes. While everyone else headed off to do their own thing, Mikey and Michelle collected the dishes and headed into the kitchen. 

The best part about cleaning up after Leo was that he was tidy and usually left minimal mess. They were able to make quick work of the dishes and were off to enjoy their free time before it was time to head into the Nexus. 

As they headed up to the entertainment room to play some videogames, the sounds of Snow’s laughter echoed down the stairs. They entered the room to find Raph and Snow sitting on the floor with a mess of toys surrounding them, including trucks, princess dolls, and plush toys. 

“It’s looks like a princess versus plush warzone,” Mikey teased as they carefully made their way across the room to the television array. 

“She just likes to play with an assortment of toys,” Raph said and picked up one of the plush bunnies. “But, they’re not at war. Right, Snow? The princess loves the bunny.”

“The princess loves the truck,” Snow said as she crammed a princess doll into a Tonka truck. 

“That’s my kind of princess,” Michelle giggled, patting Snow on the head as they passed. “You two have fun. Mikey and I are gonna play a game.”

“Nothing too violent,” Raph requested. “And keep some of the TVs on PBS. Please. Snow’s favorite show is about to come on.”

“Sure.” Sitting on the sofa, Mikey turned and smiled at his brother. “Grand Theft Auto isn’t too violent, right?”

Raph let out a sarcastic laugh. “Don’t be a smart as… aleck.”

“Smart aleck,” Snow repeated over and over, demonstrating why Raph had to watch his language around her. 

“That’s enough,” Raph said, picking Snow up. He blew on her cheek and neck, eliciting a squeal of laughter from her. 

“Stop it, daddy,” she shrieked. When he held her out, Snow began to squirm. “Put me down. I wanna play.”

“Okay.” The second Raph placed her on the ground, Snow scooped up an arm full of her toys and sat down in his lap. 

She held out a toy for him. “You take this one.” Grabbing a fluffy bunny plush with her tail she held it up. “This one’s the bad guy.”

Mikey leaned over the back of the sofa and laughed. “Deceptively cute bad guys are always the worst.”

“Kids aren’t so bad,” Michelle whispered to Mikey as she sat next to him. Draping her arm on the back of the sofa, she rested her head on it as she watched them play. “They can be fun.”

“I didn’t say I never wanted them,” Mikey whispered back as he watched Raph play with Snow. “Just not right now.”

Running her bottom lip through her teeth, Michelle sat up and looked over at Mikey. “Let’s forget video games and play with them.”

“Okay,” Mikey replied, vaulting over the sofa. He sat down on the floor across from Raph and looked down at Snow. “Can we play too?”

With a big smile on her face, Snow grabbed a toy with her foot and held it up for Mikey. “You can have this one.” When Michelle sat down, Snow grabbed another toy and handed it up to her. “Here.” Holding up her own doll, Snow declared, “This one’s the leader. You do what I say.”

“Oh, she’s your daughter alright,” Mikey quipped and grinned up at his brother. 

It had been a long time since Mikey had played with toys but he remembered how it was done. They allowed Snow to guide the action and simply played along. The theme of play changed constantly as Snow’s mind wandered to other things. She moved from sitting in Raph’s lap to Mikey’s and then Michelle’s. Snow loved the attention. 

When Leatherhead entered the room, Snow held up a toy. “Papa, play.”

Leatherhead shook his head. “It’s time for you to eat.”

“I’m not hungry,” Snow said in protest. “Play.”

Leatherhead smiled. “I guess I will have to eat your chicken nuggets myself.”

“Chicken nuggets?” Snow got to her feet and toddled over to Leatherhead. “I’m hungry.”

Leatherhead scooped her up. “First you need to wash your hands.”

“They clean,” Snow argued, holding her hands out.

“You also need to try to go potty,” Leatherhead stated as he turned to leave, not even bothering to argue with her. 

“I don’t have to,” Snow pouted. 

“I want you to try,” Leatherhead replied. 

“She is so cute,” Michelle cooed as they vanished out of sight. “And, he is so patient with her.” She got to her feet and stretched. “I hope all the kids end up as well behaved as her.”

Mikey laughed. “That’s wishful thinking. Some of them are bound to turn out like Raph.”

Raph threw a plush at Mikey. “I wasn’t the only one who was a handful.”

“You and I had fun,” Mikey said with a grin as he remembers some of their antics. 

“And, your kids will have fun.” Raph grunted as he got to his feet. “I’m glad that the one I got turned out to be a good one.”

The stiffness in Raph’s movements gave Mikey cause for concern. “You okay, Raph?”

“Yeah,” Raph said with a nod. “I’m fine. I’m just a little stiff. All I need to do is warm up and I’ll be ready for the Nexus. Don’t worry about me.”

“If you say so,” Mikey said with a shrug. If Raph wanted to get his shell handed to him, it was not any of Mikey’s business. The Nexus had safe guards up so they didn’t have to worry about Raph getting hurt beyond his pride. 

When it was time to go, the whole family gathered on the platform. Splinter had brought a large bowl of water and set it against one of the walls. “I will take the others in first,” he stated as he started to draw the symbols on the wall. “The incantation for spectators is different than it is for the competitors.” He looked up at Leo. “Once the portal closes behind us, move the bowl of water to another section and open the portal like I taught you.”

“Yes, father,” Leo said with a slight bow. 

“Good luck, my sons,” Splinter said before turning to recite the incantation. The portal opened and Splinter began ushering the others through. 

“Love you, Mikey!” Michelle said with a small wave before stepping through the portal. 

Rachael followed, grinning ear to ear. “Kick but, Leo.”

“I’ll be rooting for you, Tello,” Leah said, following her sisters. 

Donna walked over to Raph. She looked like she wanted to say something but she didn’t, opting instead to lean against him. Wrapping his arms around her, Raph kissed the top of her head. “I’ll be okay.”

Nodding, Donna pulled away from Raph and headed through the portal. 

“Good luck, guys,” Donny said before heading through with Leatherhead and Snow. 

Finally Sliver passed through, followed by Splinter and the portal closed behind them. Leo moved the bowl and got to work drawing the symbols on the wall. 

As they watched Leo work, Raph placed a reassuring hand on Tello’s shoulder. “Remember, this first round we fight together. After that, you’re on your own.”

“I’m ready,” Tello replied, clutching his bo a little tighter. 

“You don’t have to hold back,” Leo reminded him. “You can’t kill anyone in there. Even if you tried.”

Tello nodded. “I understand.”

“Okay.” Leo turned to the wall and recited the incantation. When the portal opened, they stood in front of it for a moment. Leo pulled out his swords and took a deep breath, letting it out slowly. “Let’s do this.”

Stepping through the portal, Leo led the way to their first challenge.


	54. Stripes

Eyes closed Tello, with his bo held tight, followed the others through the portal. It felt like stepping through a pool of cold water. The fluid rush and swirled around him but he was still able to breathe. There was a moment of weightlessness and then the sensation of falling. His eyes shot open as he landed hard on his shell in what appeared to be a wooded area. 

“Forgot to warn you about the drop,” Mikey said, offering to help Tello to his feet. 

“Thanks,” Tello replied dryly as he accepted Mikey’s outstretched hand. 

“You alright?” Raph asked. 

Tello waved him off. “I’m fine.” Looking around, Tello took in the scenery. He could tell that they weren’t on Earth, the flora was unlike anything he had ever seen. Rocks and what appeared to be fallen statues littered the dry ground. 

One thing he did not see was an arena. “Should we get going?”

“We wait here,” Leo answered, looking both relaxed and ready to strike at any moment. “This is where our first fight will take place and we prove our worth. Our opponents will appear soon enough. Until then, study our surroundings.”

As if on cue, a portal opened and four creatures emerged. They would have been a shocking sight if Tello hadn’t been to Dimension X. These creatures were tame compared to the things he had seen there. 

The Turtles jumped into action without hesitation, meeting their adversaries head on. 

Trusting that the others would keep the other three opponents occupied, Tello focused on the one in front of him. Their opponents were long, thin, and limber, making them hard to hit. He parried with the creature at first so that he could get a feel for its fighting style. 

Leonardo had told Tello that the Battle Nexus had the best fighters from across the multiverse. So, Tello trained vigorously in preparation. He didn’t want his passing on to the next stage to be on their merit. Refusing to be their weakest link, he was determined to earn it himself. 

Once he had the creature figured out, he decided to go on the offensive. Tello struck out with his blade, anticipating the creature’s move to avoid it. He had mapped out in his mind several different ways the creature could avoid his strike and had a follow up attack for each one. 

When the creature moved in one of the predicted paths, Tello was ready for it. Pulling his initial strike short, Tello shifted his grip, pivoted in time with the creature’s movements and jabbed with the blunt end of his bo. 

The blow hit home, striking the creature between the eyes. With a cry of pain, the creature staggered back. Before it had time to recover, Tello brought his staff around in a sweeping arch and knocked the legs out from under his opponent. It landed hard and didn’t get back up. 

Satisfied that his opponent was out, Tello turned to see how the others were faring. Raphael and Leonardo’s opponents were already down. 

Their attention was on Michelangelo who was running up a tree. He flipped over his opponent, twisting in air and kicked him square in the back before landing. There was enough force in the blow that the creature hit the tree. 

With the final opponent down, a spirit like creature appeared and declared them the winner. Judging by his appearance, Tello felt it safe to assume that the creature was Gyoji, the Battle Nexus referee. 

“Way to earn your stripes,” Raph said, clapping Tello on the back. “I knew you would be able to hold your own.”

“That was my first real fight in years,” Tello said as a grin split his face. “Man, it felt good.”

“I shall teleport you to the next arena,” Gyoji said, lifting his war paddle.

They were surrounded by a blue light followed by a shifting sensation. The sensation left Tello feeling a little queasy but after a few steading breaths, he was able to maintain composure. 

They had gone from a wooded area to standing in front of a fortress. It had been built in front of a waterfall with a statue carved into the rocky outcrop. Oddly enough, the crashing sounds of the surrounding water could not be heard. 

Instead, there was the roar of the crowd and more cheers rang out as more and more combatants appeared. After spending his life hidden away, it was a bit overwhelming to be in the center of an arena. He was amazed at all the different kinds of people. 

“Stop scanning the crowd,” Raph said after nudging Tello. “They’re up there.”

Raph pointed to the fortress where their loved ones stood on a platform balcony next to a rather large, masked man in a kimono. Undoubtedly, the man was the Daimyo. Michelle enthusiastically waved at them. Whatever she was shouting was drowned out by the crowd. 

“Turtles!”

“Trax!” Raph replied cheerfully. “It’s good to see you made it again this year.” Tello turned to see a large orange triceratops in what looked like gladiator gear. 

“You look a little worse for wear, my friend,” Trax said to Raph. There was a detectable level of concern in his voice. 

“You can buy me a drink later and I’ll fill you in on what happened,” Raph said, trying his best to hide the pain in his. 

Trax’s attention shifted to Tello. “Donatello, you… look different.”

“Another long story,” Raph said with a light chuckle. “This Donnie is from another dimension. The Donny you know is up there.” He pointed to the balcony and, as if he knew they were talking about him, Donny waved. “We call this Donnie, Tello, to avoid confusion.”

“It is a pleasure to meet you,” Trax said to Tello. “I look forward to hearing your story over a few drinks, once we get the chance.”

“It’s not a happy one,” Tello warned him. 

Traximus smiled down at Tello. “With those kinds of stories, the more you share them the easier it is to deal with their pain.”

“Turtles!”

How many people did they know here, Tello thought to himself as he turned. A white rabbit dressed as a Japanese samurai approached them. His eyes fell on Raph and Tello and his smile faded to a look of confusion and concern. 

Before he had the chance to ask his questions, the Daimyo began to speak. “Welcome, combatants.”

“I’ll fill you in on everything later,” Leo quickly said to the rabbit. “It’s good to see you again, Usagi.”

“Likewise,” Usagi replied before turning his attention to the Daimyo. 

“My congratulations to those of you who have made it past the preliminary round.” The Daimyo’s voice boomed over the quieting crowd. “I commend the valiant efforts of those who had not.” Raising his hands high, the staff in the Daimyo’s hand began to glow. “Now that all who have passed are gathered, tier one will begin.”

Energy shot from the Daimyo’s staff and surrounded them. Tello looked up amazed at the beauty and was a little fearful at the same time. The ground lowered as the energy swirled around them. Without realizing it, Tello had been moved and was no longer near the other Turtles. The power the Daimyo possessed was phenomenal. 

Walls formed and Tello found himself in a triangular shaped enclosure with another person. His tan colored opponent appeared to be female. Tall and slender, she looked lithe and had a spear for a weapon. 

Tello readied himself for her attack. Like with the preliminary match, Tello stayed on the defensive and read her fighting style. She was tough but age or injuries from her preliminary match seemed to be slowing her down and she was favoring her left leg. 

Once he had her figured out, Tello decided move in a way that forced her to pivot on her left leg. The brief moment of hesitation was all Tello needed. Dropping down, he swept her legs while bringing his bo up to connect with her as she fell. His bo met air as she was teleported away. 

“I made it past the first round,” Tello said to himself as a wave of relief washed over him. It was a rush to be out in the open, fighting with a crowd of people cheering him on. “Not bad for someone on the ‘B’ team.”

The jubilation came to an end as he was overcome with guilt and regret. His brothers would have loved this; the chance to fight and prove their skills without the fear of being injured or judged for what they were. He missed them so much it hurt. Falling to his knees, Tello began to cry. 

The walls fell, signaling the end of the first round. The Daimyo’s voice once again rang out but Tello could not focus his mind on the words. He was enveloped in cold and it felt as if he was being shifted through space. 

When he emerged, he was once again in an enclosure with another person. He didn’t know if he could bring himself to fight. 

“You okay?”

Tello looked up to see Raph and shook his head. “I can’t do this.”

“Alright.” Raph knelt down next to Tello and began to rub his back. “It’s alright.”

Gyoji appeared. “Do you wish to forfeit?” When Tello nodded, Gyoji turned to Raph. “You must deal a final blow.”

“Go sit with the others,” Raph soothed as he got to his feet. “You did good.” All it took was a gentle punch on the shoulder and Tello was teleported away. 

As soon as he materialized again, Leah was kneeling by his side. “Tello, what’s wrong? Were you hurt?”

Tello shook his head. “I started thinking about my brothers. I’m sorry. I wasn’t ready.”

“Don’t apologize,” Leah said as she caressed Tello’s cheek. “It’s okay to miss them.”

“You have come a long way in handling your grief, Donatello,” Splinter said, the only one who still referred to him by his full name. “Do not view this as a setback. It is simply part of the process.”

“Thank you,” Tello replied, shifting his position so that he was sitting comfortably on the floor. The grief was already starting to ebb. Glancing over he saw Mikey sitting on the floor and pouting, not too far away. “Mikey?”

Mikey looked up and forced a smile. “I got knocked out by Usagi.”

“This round is over,” Rachael stated from the balcony. “Leo and Raph are still in it.”

“The remaining combatants will be given a break before having to fight in the final rounds,” Splinter said. “Why don’t we head down and meet with them.”

“They’re gonna rub it in my face,” Mikey complained.

“You can show me your statue instead,” Michelle said, nuzzling Mikey’s cheek. “Then you can take me around town, just the two of us. Would that make you feel better?”

“A little,” Mikey said and turned his head to give her a kiss. 

As they gathered themselves to leave, a portal opened. Surprised by its appearance, they turned to see who would come through. Even the Daimyo stood, ready to fight, unsure of who it could be. It had to have been someone of great power to open a portal inside the fortress. 

A woman carrying a staff stepped through followed by a short old man. “Hey, guys,” the woman said sheepishly. “Long time no see.”

“Renet!” Donny replied, relieved but obviously surprised to see her. “What are you and Lord Simultaneous doing here?”

“We’re here because you and your brothers can’t seem to stop messing with the multiverse,” Lord Simultaneous answered, glaring a Donny. “Do you have any idea the trouble you’ve caused me?”


	55. Multitasking

Holding tight to Michelle’s hand, Michelangelo felt his heart drop. Whatever Lord Simultaneous was mad about had something to do with Donatello’s trans-dimensional portal device. Was Lord Simultaneous there to undo the last year? The thought of never knowing Michelle caused a hard lump to form in his stomach.

“And, you,” Lord Simultaneous said turning his attention to the Daimyo. “You allowed them to pass through the portal into the Nexus. They do not belong in this Nexus.” 

“Wait,” Donny interrupted. “This Nexus? There’s more than one? I thought this was the center of the multiverse?”

Lord Simultaneous groaned and turned his attention back to Donny. “There are multiverses with in the multiverse,” he said as if it were common knowledge. “There is a reason you’re not fighting various versions of yourselves here. They all have a Nexus assigned to them. There are even several versions of Null Time.”

“There are, like, multiple realities we have to keep in check,” Renet stated. “It’s a lot of work and it keeps getting bigger. I’ve even met three different versions of myself. That’s a trip. But, I don’t have to tell you about that.”

Lord Simultaneous turned his attention back to the Daimyo. “Do you have any idea the trouble that was almost created when you let these alternate Turtles through your portal? Reality almost crashed in on itself when the different Nexuses they were meant to go to tried to compensate by merging.”

“I did not think it would be an issue,” the Daimyo said in his defense. “They were coming from Third Earth.”

“But they don’t belong on Third Earth,” Lord Simultaneous replied. “In fact. They don’t belong anywhere. They are supposed to be dead. Including this one.” He pointed at Donny. “Your cloned body was supposed to disintegrate.”

Leatherhead, who had been standing quietly with Snow in his arms, suddenly moved forward to loom over the two Time Keepers. A low, ticking rumble resonated from his chest as he glared down at them. “That is a discrepancy that you will not correct.”

“Steady,” Donny soothed, caressing Leatherhead’s cheek. 

“If none of this was supposed to happen,” Tello interjected, “why is it that the Turtles throughout the multiverse who had died are lining up to be reborn in this…, their world? This stands to reason that this was somehow destined.”  
“You’ve got it reversed,” Lord Simultaneous said in rebuttal. “You weren’t destined to meet so they could be reborn. The spirit realm is an opportunist, taking advantage anytime something occurs to give you guys the ability to have children, but has no control over where this happens.”

“What’s taking you guys so long?” Raph said as he and Leo entered the room. “I thought we were gonna show the girls the pavilion and surrounding market.” Surprise and worry splayed across their faces the moment their eyes fell on Lord Simultaneous and Renet. “What are you guys doing here?” 

“And, why does Mikey look like he’s on the verge of tears,” Leo added. “What’s going on?”

“We’re still getting to that,” Donny answered, fixing Lord Simultaneous with a steady gaze. “But don’t worry. Something tells me that if they wanted to fix everything by doing a reset, they wouldn’t have bothered coming here to tell us about it.”

“You’re correct,” Lord Simultaneous said with a slight nod. “If resets were only as simple as you make them sound. No. I’m here to inform you of the near cataclysmic event you caused so we can avoid the incident from happening again. Their existence in your world is fine, we can work around it. It was when they entered the Nexus that things really started to go awry.”

“Wait a minute,” Mikey interrupted. “If they weren’t supposed to enter the Nexus, why didn’t you stop it from happening?”

“It’s not that simple!” Pinching the bridge of his nose, Lord Simultaneous let out an exasperated sigh. “You don’t know how this works, do you.”

“I thought that was pretty much established,” Mikey replied. 

“We can’t predict the future,” Renet stated with a snort. “Only observe it as it happens.”

“But you know what’s going to happen,” Mikey argued. 

“Yes, but it must happen for us to know about it,” Lord Simultaneous said. “This timeline must continue to exist so we know the consequences of them entering the Nexus from Third Earth. Without it, we would not know and we get into paradoxical consequences. If I did go back to prevent them from entering, it would only create another yet another parallel dimension.”

“It’s complicated,” Renet added. 

“My head is starting to hurt,” Michelle whimpered. 

“Don’t try to think about it and just take our word for it,” Lord Simultaneous said to her. “We will be the ones to take you home. Okay,” Lord Simultaneous said, shifting his gaze to look them all in the eyes to drive the statement home. “After we get you all home, the girls, and the Donatello from another dimension cannot come back.”

“We’re never gonna get a chance to fight in the Nexus?” Rachael said with a hint of anger behind her usually stoic tone. 

“That’s right,” Lord Simultaneous replied.

“Fine by me,” Donna shrugged.

Rachael huffed, crossing her arms over her chest. “That sucks.”

“What about our children?” Donny asked, retrieving Snow from Leatherhead to show her to them. “Will they be allowed to fight in the tournament one day?”

“Snow can,” Renet answered, stepping forward to get a closer look at Snow. “She is so cute,” she cooed, leaning down to rub noses with Snow. “I can’t believe this little thing becomes such an amazing fighter.”

“The others cannot,” Lord Simultaneous continued as he shot Renet a warning glare, causing her to back away. “They are also not supposed to exist. This includes the one you are carrying now.” He looked up at the Daimyo. “I know these four had followed their father through the portal several years back. Don’t let their kids do the same. Block them from entering.”

The Daimyo nodded. “You have my word.”

“I know it all sounds totally harsh,” Renet said apologetically. “But, we have done so- much to let you guys have this. The few rules you guys have to follow is a fair trade off.”

“What do you mean by that?” Raph demanded. 

“There are those who would have preferred that your tampering with interdimensional events be undone,” Lord Simultaneous explained. “They didn’t care about the amount of work it would have taken. However, since you have done so much in your dimension and the multiverse as a whole, Renet managed to persuade me to pull some strings to allow this reality to continue to exist.”

“It wasn’t easy. We had to… uh…. What’s the best way to put it?” Renet looked off to the side as she thought. “It’s like, putting sealant on a cord to prevent it from unraveling.”

Donny lifted an eye ridge. “I don’t follow.”

“We have to ensure that there are no offshoots from this dimension,” Lord Simultaneous offered. “From the moment Michelangelo saved the Donatello from an alternate universe, we have made sure that there are no other parallel lines.”

“Which is why we couldn’t go to the point in time to prevent the girls from coming here,” Renet added. “It would have caused an offshoot of this dimension. One where they came here and one where they did not. We need to keep it at the one.”

“But, we’re not here to get deep into the complexities of how the multiverse works,” Lord Simultaneous said, waving it off. “The whole reason for this trip is to prevent the near cataclysmic event from happening again.”

“You have my word,” Leo stated with a slight bow of his head. “After you return us home, Splinter, Raph, Donny, Mikey and I will be the only ones to enter the Nexus from now on.”

“And Snow,” Donny added. “Once she’s old enough. Leatherhead too…. He’ll want to watch her fight.”

“She grows into a great warrior,” Renet said with a smile that then faded. “Not always a good person, but a great warrior.”

Donny held Snow protectively against his chest. “What do you mean by that?”

“Oops. I wasn’t supposed to say that,” Renet hesitated as she thought and looked down at Lord Simultaneous for help. 

“There’s no harm in a general explanation,” Lord Simultaneous said with a grunt. “Now that you’ve brought it up. No details.”

“Right. In every other dimension, you’re dead since you didn’t have the other Donatello there to save you,” Renet said sorrowfully. “And in others, Raphael… did not survive the attack. So, Snow… she gets a thirst for vengeance and it consumes her. But, I’m sure this Snow will be fine as long as she is raised with love.”

“She gets that in spades,” Donny said, hugging Snow. 

“Good,” Lord Simultaneous said. “Then all will be well. Now that it’s all settled, Renet and I have to get back to work. The multiverse is a never-ending cascade of problems when it comes to you turtles. We will return at the end of the tournament to take you home,” Lord Simultaneous said, opening a portal. “Don’t attempt to leave without us.”

“You have our word,” Splinter reassured him.

“Thank you for allowing us to continue to live on Third Earth with the guys,” Michelle said while waving goodbye. 

“Thank you for allowing us to continue to live,” Rachael added as the portal closed.

“Why don’t we clear our heads while we take a look around the pavilion and wait for the next tier of the tournament to begin,” Leo offered. “We still have some time.”

A huge swell of relief filled Mikey and he pulled Michelle into a tight hug. Despite what Lord Simultaneous had said, it still felt like they had almost lost the girls. He did not want to go back to that unbearable loneliness.

From the way the others were acting, they felt the same. They all hugged their loved ones. Even Splinter and Sliver shared a modest display of affection, pressing their foreheads together. 

Mikey swore that he would never take Michelle for granted. There were so many in the multiverse who will never know the joy of her being in his life.


	56. Foreign

The whole time Renet and Lord Simultaneous were talking with the others, Raph worried about two things. His first worry was that he was about to lose Donna, just when they finally started to connect. The way Lord Simultaneous was talking, it sounded like a real possibility. 

Donna had wrapped herself around his arm, burying her face against his bicep with her fingers intertwined with his. He could sense that she was equally afraid. Of course, she was afraid. While he was worried that he would have to live without her, she feared losing her life. 

When they were reassured that the girls were going to be allowed to stay, Raph’s other concern became the focus of this thoughts. It was safe to assume Renet and Lord Simultaneous knew of Raph’s problem. The way Renet kept looking over at him told him that she was worried about him. Would she say anything to his brothers in an attempt to help? Or, knowing Renet, simply blurt it out without thinking? 

That fear dissipated a little as the two time lords exited through the portal. But, the concern was still there. They were going to return after the tournament. Something could be said then. 

Concern over Tello, had Raph pushing his own issues aside to check up on him. There was something about Donatello, no matter which incarnation of him it was, that drew Raph in. He wasn’t sure what it was about them, but he would do anything to keep them safe. 

Once he was sure that Tello was okay, Raph went over to retrieve Snow from Leatherhead. Holding his daughter helped to ease his anxieties. Renet and Lord Simultaneous said she needed love to keep her on the right path. That was an easy enough requirement to fill. Raphael adored his daughter. 

They still had some time to kill before the tournament would continue, so the Turtles had decided to start the tour down in the Hall of Champions. Actually, it was Mikey who had insisted on showing off his statue to the others. For him, it was on the top of the priority list and since they were leaving right after the tournament it had to be done now. 

As they made their way down, they were met by Usagi and Traximus. Brief introductions were made and Leonardo gave them an abridged account of the events that led to Tello and the girls ending up in their dimension. 

“I wonder if there are parallel versions of my world,” Usagi said, almost to himself. “Certain aspects of my life would not have worked out the same if I had been a female. I definitely would have known sooner that I had a child.”

“If there were several versions of my existence, I think I would prefer never to come in contact with any of them,” Traximus stated. “With my people struggling to rebuild our government, my life is complicated enough as it is. So much so that I was almost unable to attend the tournament.” He then smiled and added. “But it is good that you were able to find mates out of the experience.”

“You have no idea,” Mikey said, grabbing hold of Michelle’s hand. “This is like a dream come true.”

“I agree with Traximus,” Usagi said. “Though it appears that there is an uneven number of males to females. I can only imagine the troubles it has caused.”

“It’s actually not an issue,” Donatello said with a nervous chuckle as his cheeks darkened. “I’m in a relationship with Leather head.”

“Then it all seems to have worked out.” Usagi smiled and then turned his attention to Snow. “What about the child? Where did she come from? She looks as if she could be from the same world as Drako.”

“That one is complicated,” Donny answered, looking over at Raph as if to ask permission to tell the story. When Raph nodded, Donny continued. “To summarize, a man named Bishop abducted me. His intentions were to make it so I could have children, breed me with my brothers and raise our children as his own little soldiers. My brothers and Leatherhead managed to rescue me, but the alterations had already been done. In fact, the reason I’m not fighting in the tournament this years is because I am currently pregnant.”

“So, then the child is yours,” Trax stated as he moved in close to look Snow over, “and Leatherhead’s. But, if that is the case, why is Raphael the one holding her?”

With a squeal of delight, Snow grabbed hold of Trax’s horn. “Diyasour.”

Traximus chuckled, not bothered in the slightest and the large warrior softened as he gently pulled himself from her grasp. “On my world, children are kept in a nursery. I have not seen one since I had entered into adulthood. I had no idea how delightful they could be. She is adorable.”

“She is,” Donny said with a smile. “The uterus Bishop implanted in me combines my DNA with the DNA of whoever I mate with. To ensure that I mated, Bishop dosed us with something that… gave us an overwhelming and uncontrollable desire to mate. I was alone with Raphael and Leatherhead when the drugs took effect. So, Snow is also Raphael’s.”

“Interesting. That must have taken some dark wizardry,” Usagi said awe.

“Science,” Traximus corrected. “This Bishop must have access to various alien DNA. I have met a species whose wombs work in such a way. They take the strongest genetic material to form the child. Leatherhead’s DNA must have been more dominate.”

“That is what we believe as well,” Donny said. 

They entered the Hall of Champions and followed the path through the statues. Leonardo pointed out the ones that they knew as they made their way past. Which happened to be quite a few. 

Aside from Splinter and Yoshi, there were statues of Drako, the Ninja Tribunal, and the Shredder. Leo made sure to give them a brief explanation on how they knew each of them. Given the chance, he would go on for hours when it came to history. 

Mikey, however, did not think that the explanations were brief enough. “This leads us to the reason why we’re here,” he interrupted as he trotted ahead. “My statue.” Once he was in front of the statue Mikey did his usual, turning to strike the same pose. “I’ve hardly aged a day! I still have the same baby face and chiseled physique. Hard to believe this was six years ago.” 

“That is one big statue,” Rachael said as she came upon it.

“It’s almost as big as his ego,” Raph quipped, standing beside her. “He likes to brag about winning every chance he gets. He won’t shut up about it. But what do you expect, it’s his only worthwhile accomplishment.”

“You’re just jealous ‘cause you don’t have one,” Mikey said with a wide grin. 

Smirking at Raph, Rachael shrugged. “He has a point. You don’t have one.”

“Don’t encourage him,” Raph grumbled and moved on to stand in front of Splinter’s statue. “At least I have a chance this year. Thanks to Usagi, Mikey doesn’t.”

“Don’t bring me into this,” Usagi stated, lifting a brow. 

“As if,” Mikey said to Raph with a snort, ignoring Usagi. “They only reason you’re moving on is because Tello forfeited. From the looks of you, you were more than ready to throw in the towel. He could have beat you with a feather. There is no way you are going to win the tournament.”

“You’re one to talk. The only reason you even have that statue is because Splinter forfeited and Leo had been poisoned,” Raph growled back. “You wouldn’t have stood a chance against them.”

“I won the final battle all on my own,” Mikey argued. “Twice.”

“Enough,” Splinter said, striking his cane on the ground. “I’ve grown weary of this argument. It is time the two of you put it to rest.”

“I believe you promised me a drink,” Trax said in an attempt to draw Raph’s attention away from his brother. “We still have time before the next tier begins. You can tell me how you received your scars and I can get to know your lovely mate.”

Donna blushed as she shyly wrapped her arms around herself. “Lovely?” she whispered so softly that Raph barely heard her. 

“Do you want me to take Snow?” Donny offered. 

Raph looked down at his daughter and noticed that, despite his yelling, she had fallen asleep with her head resting on his shoulder. He shook his head. “No. I wanna hold her a little longer. I’ll give her back to you before the next round.”

He wasn’t going to say it out loud but he wanted as much time with her as he could manage. As soon as they returned home from the tournament and saw Casey and April’s twins, Raph and Donna were going to leave. There was no way to know how long it was going to take for the drugs to leave his system. It could be several weeks before he got to hold her again. 

“There is a lovely little tea shop that is not too far from here,” Splinter said to Sliver, offering her his arm. “They have a tea that is unlike anything you have ever tasted.”

With a small smile, Sliver wrapped her arm around his. “That sounds delightful. Heaven knows that I could use a good cup of tea right now.”

“Let’s go get some sweets,” Mikey exclaimed as he pulled Michelle away. “You won’t believe some of the things they have here.”

“Okay.” With a giggle, Michelle allowed herself to be pulled away. 

“We’ll join you,” Donny said, trotting after them. “I have a massive craving for something sweet right now.” Leatherhead followed after his mate. Raph could see the desire in Leatherhead’s eyes to lecture Donny about eating a proper diet while pregnant. But the smile that said he was willing to indulge his mate overruled it. 

“Looks like we are all parting ways,” Leo said, taking Rachael’s hand.

“Looks like it,” Raph agreed as he took Donna by the hand. He could tell that she was a little nervous about the idea of being out among others. He gave her hand a reassuring squeeze before once again addressing Leo. “We’ll meet you back at the arena in time for round three.” 

“Usagi, would you like to join us?” Leo said to his friend. 

“I would love to,” Usagi replied with a smile. 

“I’m afraid we’ll get lost if we go off by ourselves,” Tello pointed out. “Leah and I haven’t been here before.”

“It would be much appreciated if one of you allowed us to join you,” Leah added.

“You can come with us,” Leo chuckled. “Usagi and I will show you around.”

“Is there anything cool you can show us,” Rachael asked as they walked away. “Like, weapons?”

“I think there is something nearby,” Usagi replied.

At the moment, everyone seemed happy and carefree. But, guilt weighed heavily on Raph as he watched his family disperse, knowing what he was about to put them through. If all ended up going as planned, they would simply be mad at him for running off with Donna. But, then again, when has anything ever gone as planned?


	57. Through the Fire

Leonardo wished that there was more time to show the others around the Nexus. There were so many wondrous things to see and this was their only chance to see it. But, the tournament would not wait. Gyoji appeared, announcing that the final stage of the Battle Nexus Tournament was about to begin and teleported Leo and Usagi to the base of the arena. 

They drew kunai from an orb of water, that had colored ribbon attached to them to determine who they would fight next. Leonardo’s ribbon was yellow and matched with a short and stocky fighter. They had just enough time to acknowledge each other before they were teleported into the arena to battle. 

During their tour of the Nexus, Leah had told them about the remaining combatants, including the stout creature Leo now faced. He was difficult to knock down due to his low center of gravity, and knew how to take a blow. 

He won his matches by grabbing hold of his opponent. He would either hurl them against the wall with such force that they were teleported away before they made contact or he crushed the appendage, leaving them unable to fight. Staying out of the creature’s reach was Leo’s top priority. 

Though his opponent was slow, he was solid and strong. Rough skin covered the stout creature that rendered the edge on Leo’s blades useless. He would dull the edge before scratching the creature. Sheathing his swords, Leo knew he would have to take a different approach. 

Leonardo first tried to go for a pressure point. As he moved in close to hit one, his opponent grabbed for him. Leo had to pull his strike short in order to get out of harm’s way. The rough fingers grazed his wrist and it took all of Leo’s control not to panic. A broken wrist could be crippling. 

His opponent smirked, knowing he almost had Leo. “You’re fast. But, I’ll get you.”

“No, you won’t.” Removing his belt, Leo lowered his swords to the ground but kept the leather strap in his hand. His opponent chuckled as they continued to circle one another. 

Leo ran forward and, as predicted, his opponent took a defensive stance. With both ends of his belt twisted around his hands, Leo leapt into the air, flipping over his opponent. As he passed, Leo drew the belt around the creature’s neck. 

Twisting around, Leo crossed the ends of the belt and then planted his feet in the middle of his opponent’s back. Once in position, Leo pulled with all his might in hopes that it would do the trick. 

Thrown off balance, the stout creature fell forward. Judging by the way his opponent was gasping, Leo had managed to apply enough pressure to choke him, if only a little. All he had to do now was maintain his hold. 

His position on his opponent’s back, made it impossible for the creature to reach back and grab hold of him. His fingers grazed Leo’s ankles but that was as far as they could go. It was the biggest disadvantage of his short and broad build. 

After a while, his opponent gave up on trying to grab him and decided to shake Leo off instead. He stood and started shaking, but Leo and impeccable balance and managed to stay in the center of his back while maintaining tension on the strap. 

Changing tactics, his opponent tried falling back, in an attempt to crush him. Leo caught them, placing one foot back while the other stayed planted in the middle of the creature’s back. This put his opponent at a complete disadvantage. He couldn’t stand back up due to Leo pulling down on his neck. If he twisted to the side, Leo would follow, staying in the center of his back while continuing to choke him.

Whatever he did, however he turned, Leo would compensate for it. 

His opponent started to thrash and claw at his neck. Leo knew that he had to hold on just a little while longer. The safety spells over the arena would not let him harm his opponent but it also had to determine that there was no way for his opponent to get out of it. 

The creature’s movements began to slow, a sign that he was beginning to lose consciousness. Just as Leo started to think that they were going to let his opponent pass out, Gyoji showed up.

He looked at the creature. “Would you like to forfeit?”

The creature gave a quick nod and he was teleported away. 

The sudden loss of his opponent had Leo falling back. Relieved that the strategy had worked, he stayed sitting on the ground for a moment to allow feeling to return to his arms. He could hear the clash of weapons coming from the other sections of the arena. As long as those battles continued, he would have time to rest. 

Returning to the center of the arena, Leo collected his swords and put them on. He wondered how Raph was holding up. He looked up at the observation deck to see his family looking down at another section of the arena. Judging by the looks on their faces, they were all watching Raph. 

When the crowd and his family erupted in cheers, Leo knew that Raphael had succeeded in his match. 

With the final match completed, the walls came down to reveal the remaining combatants. Raphael, Usagi, and a tall female had also made it to the final four. 

Leo smiled at his brother but it quickly faded when he realized how beat Raph looked. Walking up to him, Leo placed his hand on Raph’s shoulder. “How you holding up?”

Raph shook his head. “I’m done. I barely managed to finish that one.”

“I honestly did not expect you to make it to this far,” Leo said, giving Raph’s shoulder a squeeze. “You’re an inspiration for us all. I am proud of you, Raph.”

Thought there was pain in his eyes, Raph flashed Leo a lopsided smile. “Just remember this moment the next time I do something stupid.”

A portal made of water opened and Gyoji gestured for them to enter. “Step through the portal. You will be paired as you exit.”

The four combatants passed through the portal and emerged in a large, open arena. Raph and Leo appeared on one end while Usagi and the female appeared on the other. 

“Looks like you get to be the one to take me out,” Raph said as they turned to face one another. “Don’t go easy on me.”

“I don’t plan on it,” Leo replied. “I wanna get this over with as quickly as possible. That way I get a longer rest before the final battle.”

“As much as I would love to see you win the whole thing, I ain’t forfeiting,” Raph said. “I’m not gonna make this too easy for you.”

Leo smiled while drawing his swords. “I wasn’t expecting you to.” Raph’s pride was on the line. If he was going to go out, he was going to go out fighting. Leo was going to make sure it was a fight he could be proud of. Leo beckoned Raph to attack. “I’ll let you lead this dance.”

The two clashed, both giving it all that they had. Even though Raph was exhausted, he knew how to fight through it and he knew Leo’s fighting stile well enough to anticipate his moves. If Leo did let up, Raph would strike the advantage. 

Eventually, Raphael’s exhaustion caught up with him and his body became sluggish. He wasn’t able to get a block up in time. As Leo brought his sword down there was a moment of panic before his brother was teleported safely away. 

With a sigh of relief, Leo allowed himself a moment of reflection. He had made it to the final round. 

He looked up towards his family. Splinter, Donny, Tello, and Donna were nowhere to be seen, most likely off to check on Raph. He smiled as he pictured them fussing over Raph. The others smiled and waved, Mikey and Michelle the most enthusiastic. 

Leo then turned his attention to Usagi’s fight. The tall female was skilled, using a weapon that resembled a pair of katar and gauntlets that blocked Usagi’s swords. He decided to study her movements, just in case she bested Usagi. 

In the end, Usagi proved to be the more skillful warrior. He spotted an opening and arched his sword towards her midsection. She teleported away a split second before the blade made contact.

No matter how many times he has seen it happen, Leo still felt a slight surge of panic in the moments before they were teleported. 

Now that the final match was about to begin, Leonardo couldn’t help but smile. He had spared against and fought alongside Usagi several times. He was his best friend. He couldn’t have hoped for a better outcome. If he was going to lose to anyone, he would prefer it to be Usagi. But, then again, he had no intention of losing. 

“I’ll give you a moment to catch your breath,” Leo said as the two met in the center of the arena. “You can let me know when you are ready.”

“Thank you,” Usagi said with a smile. “I am glad that you are my final opponent.”

“As am I,” Leo replied. 

Usagi took several deep breaths but he knew that resting for too long could do more harm than good. He would give himself enough time to recover his strength without losing his adrenaline rush from the last fight and allowing fatigue to set in.

“I’m ready,” he said as he moved into a fighting stance. 

Leonardo readied himself for the fight, facing Usagi with both swords drawn. The two started to circle one another, each waiting for the other to make the first strike while deciding on their own methods of attack. 

Eager to get the fighting started, Leo went on the offensive. With a fire in his eyes, Usagi shifted his stance accordingly and their swords crashed together. 

Now that the battle had begun, the two swordsmen were in constant motion. They simultaneously defended and attacked while looking for an opening for a final strike. Neither one ever gained control of the battle. Neither one faltered. 

Spurred on by the rush of the fight and the drive to win, nether let up in his attack. The two skilled warriors fought with such speed and accuracy that the crowd fell into an awed hush. 

It wouldn’t have mattered if they continued cheering or not, Leo’s mind was in a trance like state. Its only focus was on Usagi, the rest of the world faded away. 

A sudden force pulled the two apart. In their confusion, they both looked up towards the Daimyo. 

“This has gone on long enough,” the Daimyo declared. “Never has a battle lasted so long. Never has two combatants been so equally matched. I could allow you to continue to fight until one of you tires enough to falter but I don’t see that happening any time soon. So, for the first time in Battle Nexus history, I declare a draw.”

Leo’s mind barely processed the Daimyo’s words. Now that he had been pulled from the fight and allowed to slow down, fatigue caught up to him. Looking over at Usagi, he could see that his Samurai friend was in no better shape. 

Leo’s legs gave out and he collapsed to the ground as Usagi sat down hard. Every tendon in his hand screamed in pain when Leo tried to loosen his grip on his hilts. There was a deep indention in the palm of his hand and his fingers were bleeding. 

They were teleported away and swarmed by healers the moment they materialized. Leo was guided to a tatami. As he lay back a damp cloth was placed over his eyes. 

“How long?” he rasped. 

“Five hours,” one of the healers replied. “The two of you would have fought until you dropped dead from exhaustion if the Daimyo hadn’t stopped you. Never in my life have I seen such a pigheaded display of determination.”

“Rest,” another said. “We will take care of you.”

The room felt as if it was spinning and every inch of his body felt like it was on fire. Despite it all, Leonardo was asleep before the healer finished speaking.


	58. All That I Have

Leonardo and Usagi stayed in a deep sleep for several hours while the healers assisted in their recovery. Rachael stayed by Leo’s side as he slept, despite the healer’s insistence that she leave so they could work. 

Leah had never seen this side of her sister. She was usually so distant and uncaring, but now, she was worried. It was a testament to how much she truly loved Leonardo. 

When the two warriors woke, they were sore but they managed to stand on their own. Seeing that they had adequately recovered, the Daimyo held the awards ceremony, naming them both champions. 

Neither of them seemed upset that they were sharing the title. In fact, they seemed quite happy about it. The bond between the two sword wielders was greater than their need to prove that they are the best. 

There was no time to celebrate after the ceremony. Lord Simultaneous and Renet arrived as soon as it was over and return the Turtles and their family back to their proper dimension. 

Leah was more than happy to go. As beautiful and enchanting as the Nexus was, it felt good to return to normalcy. 

It wasn’t a happy moment for everyone. For Tello, returning home meant spending time in the shrine dedicated to his family and dealing with the pain he had suffered during the tournament. 

Leah stood on the outside, trying to decide if she should join him or allow him this time to himself. She couldn’t imagine what he was going through. She had yet to experience so great of a loss. 

“There’s no harm in asking.” Leah turned to see her mother standing behind her. “I know there were times that I wished for some company,” Sliver added in a soft whisper.”

“Thank you,” Leah whispered in response as she embraced her mother. “I would be lost without your guidance.”

“Be patient with him,” Sliver said, hugging Leah in return. “Everyone mourns differently and in their own time. Even if he would rather be alone, at least he would know you cared enough to offer.”

Stepping back, Leah smiled at Sliver. “I’ll keep that in mind.” She watched her mother continue on her way before turning to knock lightly on the frame. “May I join you?”

“Yeah,” Tello replied. “I’d like that.”

Leah slipped past the curtain and sat down in the small area across from Tello. “You okay?”

“I miss them,” Tello answered, looking at the photo of his brothers. “There are times that the pain is greater than others. They would have loved the Nexus.” With a sigh, he rubbed the bridge of his beak. “Sorry. I don’t mean to dwell.”

“You have no reason to apologies,” Leah assured him. “It’s okay to mourn. You take all the time you need.”

“It helps having you here,” Tello confessed. “You give me a reason to… move. Without you, I think I would just stop again.”

Leah smiled. “Then I will be here for you…, with you whenever you need me.”

Tello held out his hand. “Come here.” After sliding her hand into his, Leah was pulled the short distance between them and into Tello’s lap. She nuzzled against his chest as he wrapped himself around her. “You are the best thing to ever happen to me,” he said, kissing the top of her head. 

“I love you too,” she replied. 

They sat in a comfortable silence for a while. Tello would stare at his brothers’ carapaces or run his fingers along the box that held his father’s ashes. The pain he felt was hard for Leah to comprehend, but she would do everything she could to help him through it. 

“We get to go see the babies tomorrow,” Tello stated, out of the blue. “I look forward to seeing my friends again, as they start their new lives.”

“Should I be jealous,” Leah teased. 

“Part of me will always love April,” Tello confessed, letting out a slight chuckle, “but if she were here today, I would choose you over her in a heartbeat.”

Leah softly chuckled. “I believe you. I have no doubts of your love.” 

From her position, Leah could see their feet and thought out loud, “I wonder how many toes our children are going to have.”

“Hard to guess,” Tello said, wiggling his toes. “I just hope they have your smaller hands. It will make life so much easier on them.”

There was a brief moment of silence between them. 

“Wanna go watch a movie,” Tello asked. 

“Sure,” Leah said, looking up at him. “I would like that. I just hope the television’s free. Snow’s been on a PBS kick here lately.”

Tello shrugged and released his hold on her so she could get up. “If it’s not we could watch a movie in our room on the laptop.”

“Then let’s skip checking the TV room and just go to ours,” Leah said, offering Tello a hand up. “I like the idea of snuggling together on the bed better anyway.”

“Alright,” Tello agreed. 

Standing in front of the shrine, Tello and Leah bowed before turning to leave. 

They spent the next few hours snuggled up close to each other in bed while they watched the latest movie adaptation of a comic. As they watched their hands started to drift into more intimate locations and it wasn’t long before the movie was set aside. 

Leah kissed Tello’s lips as she coaxed him to lie back then she straddled his hips, twisting her tail around his. Their tails touching was enough to draw a churr from Tello. 

Sitting up, Leah looked down at Tello’s glassy eyed expression. She loved the way he looked up at her in his aroused state. The other boys were too dominating and aggressive, but not Tello. He submitted to her. 

She could feel that his penis was beginning to emerge so she moved up to straddle his chest. “I’m not ready yet.”

It was a small lie. In fact, she was very much aroused, wet and ready. It had more to do with her desire to control the moment than anything else. That, and she loved getting oral. 

Taking the hint, Tello hooked his arms under her legs and brought her the rest of the way forward until her tail was over his face. Leah braced herself with her hands on the wall as Tello licked the inside of her cloaca. 

She let out a satisfied hum and placed her hand on the top of his head. The sweet sensation of the impending climax was her favorite part. “Almost,” she whispered. 

Her orgasm hit, causing her legs to shake and her stomach to tighten. Tello drove his tongue as deep inside her as it could go and gently sucked on the parts of her clit that was exposed in her arousal. 

Satisfied, she lifted off of him to sit next to him on the bed. His beak was covered in her juices and, looking up as her, he churred, needy for his own release. 

“Now it’s your turn,” Leah said, smiling at him. 

The look in his eyes, the scent of his arousal and the wanton desire in his churrs had Leah’s desire fired up despite already having an orgasm. She wasted little time finding a condom and placing it over his rock-hard penis. It was tricky, unrolling it over the flared tip but Leah managed to squeeze it closed enough to work the condom down. 

As soon as it was on, Leah positioned herself back over Tello and lined his tip up with her entrance. He churred with every breath as his hands massaged her thighs. With each rock of her hips, Leah took him in deeper. 

Deep down she wished she could feel what it was like to have him inside her without the piece of latex between them. But, that would not be without its consequences and she did not want to disappoint her mother by going against her wishes. 

She rode him hard and she knew that he was lost in the pleasure. All he was able to do was lay back and enjoy it. Which was fine with Leah, she preferred being the one in control. 

It was good that, despite how easy it was to get Tello worked up, he had stamina enough for Leah to climax two more times before reaching his own. 

She knew he was close when his grip tightened on her thighs and he began to thrust. When he climaxed, he held her down so that he could be deep inside her as he finished. It was the only bit of control Leah allowed him to have. 

When he was done, Tello released his grip and rolled his head back on the pillow. He was still half in a trance but at least he stopped passing out. 

Grabbing the base of Tello’s penis to hold the condom in place, Leah lifted up and moved to sit beside him. As she moved to remove the condom she felt her heart hit her stomach. 

There was a tear in the condom and Tello’s cum was leaking from it. 

“It broke,” Leah said past the lump in her throat. 

Tello responded with a questioning hum. 

“The condom broke,” Leah stated, unable to take her eyes off of it. 

“What?!” Snapping back to reality, Tello propped himself up to have a look. “Oh….”

“I… I must have done something wrong when I put it on,” Leah squeaked out as she was overrun with emotion. 

“Don’t panic,” Tello soothed, sitting in an attempt to look her in the eyes. “Donny said that he also put some spermicide in the condoms. So, we could still be okay.”

“There’s usually a lot in the condom,” Leah said, still staring at it. “But, there’s not much in there at all. That means it’s all in me.”

“I’m sorry,” Tello whispered. 

Eyes filling with tears, Leah placed her fingers against her lips. “I’m gonna be a mom.” She looked at Tello and smiled. “I’m gonna be a mom!”

Tello lifted an eye ridge. “You’re… happy?”

“Ever since I was little I wanted to be a mom,” Leah said. She never would have admitted it to anyone but the only reason she was using the condoms was because her mother wished it. And, the fact that Rachael was going to be a mother first had Leah a little jealous. 

Leah placed her hand on Tello’s chest. “Which one of your brothers are we supposed to have?”

“Leonardo,” Tello replied, still a little confused. “They decided to go to their female counterparts…. Are you sure you’re okay with this?”

“Yeah.” Leah nodded. She leaned in and kissed Tello, tasting herself on his lips. His agile tongue flicked inside her mouth, stirring her need once more. 

When they pulled apart she looked him in the eyes and grinned. “Let’s go again. This time, without the condom.” Why not, she thought. The ‘damage’ had already been done.

With a needful churr, Tello submitted to her once more.


	59. FLowers

Sliver was meticulous in her grooming. It had taken her years to get used to having so much fur, dealing with a great deal of discomfort when she was first mutated. 

When she was young, her mother had kept Akitas, a breed of dog that need to be groomed regularly to cut back on shedding. She was often tasked with the dogs’ upkeep as part of her daily chores. Fortunately for her, she was able to apply those skills to herself. 

Now, she enjoyed running her hands over the soft top coat, taking pride in how well she managed to maintain it. 

Each night she showered, scrubbing and conditioning her fur and hair. When she was done, she would put her hair up in a towel and wrap herself in her robe before heading down to the room she shared with Splinter. 

That night, Splinter was sitting on the bed with his kimono draped around his waist, using his tail to brush the fur on his back. It was a method Sliver had also learned to use early on. But now, it was one that was no longer necessary.

“Allow me,” she offered, holding out her hand. 

“Thank you,” Splinter said as he passed her the brush. 

Kneeling down behind him, Sliver got to work. She ran the comb through his fur, noting the strong muscles underneath. Splinter might come off as a withered old man but he was a formidable fighter.

“I will admit that, at first, I was surprised at how well you kept your coat. I was expecting it to be dry and unkept.”

Splinter chuckled. “That hasn’t always been the case. Before we met April, I cleaned myself with whatever I could get my hands on. The condition of my fur then is probably more what you were expecting.”

Sliver ran the brush through Splinter’s fur, removing the loose undercoat. It was getting warmer, which meant that their thick undercoat was starting to shed. Sliver was determined to get as much as possible so it wouldn’t end up coating the lair. 

“Speaking of April,” Sliver said. “Are we still going to see her and the babies tomorrow?”

“Yes.” Splinter nodded. “Leonardo should be recovered enough by then.”

“I am eager to see them,” Sliver said as a soft smile played across her lips. “It has been far too long since I have been able to hold a newborn.”

“With the way our children are behaving, we will have plenty of babies to hold soon enough,” Splinter stated, drawing a hearty chuckle from Sliver. 

“I suppose you’re right.” Sliver handed the brush back to Splinter. “All done. My turn.” As they repositioned themselves so that Splinter could brush Sliver’s back, she lowered her bathrobe to her waist. 

There was something serene in being groomed by another. The soft steady strokes lulled Sliver into a peaceful state that made her worries slipped away. She usually slept easier on the nights that Splinter brushed her. 

Splinter worked the brush through her damp fur, discarding any loose strands that ended up in the brush. It wasn’t glamorous but it was necessary. 

“I am done,” Splinter said, passing her the brush so she can continue grooming herself. 

“Thank you,” Sliver replied, turning slightly to kiss Splinter on the cheek. The fact that he kept his eyes averted from her bare breasts was not lost on her. So, she turned all the way around to face him and kissed his lips. 

Splinter tensed but returned the kiss. He was still so unsure. 

Though they had shared a room and a bed, their relationship had yet to develop beyond the platonic. Sliver guided one of Splinter’s hands to her breast. It was overdue for their relationship to progress to the next stage. 

…..

Splinter watched as Sliver pinned her long dark hair up in a loose bun. The small mirror showed her soft smile when their eyes met in its reflection. 

Once her hair was secure, she stood and made her way over to where her kimonos were kept. As she passed, the subtle scent of flowers filled the air. 

Splinter smiled, as a feeling of joy filled him. He had never known such a love before and he never expected that he would experience it. Part of him still felt unworthy of it. She deserved so much more than he could offer. 

Sliver selected a dark green kimono with pink sakura petal accents. It was one of Splinter’s favorites and he suspected that she knew it. 

On the surface, Sliver presented herself as a serene and ‘proper’ lady but she was capable of holding her own against any adversary. Given the chance, Splinter was sure that she could be a Nexus champion. It was a pity that she would never have such an opportunity. 

It was almost time for morning training so Splinter excused himself and made his way into the dojo. Leah and Tello were already waiting. They were restless, a good sign that something was troubling them. 

“You’re early,” Splinter said, hoping to coax something out of them. 

“I need to speak with my mother before training starts,” Leah said.

“Did something happen,” Splinter asked, shifting his gaze to Tello. Out of the two of them, Tello was easier to read. 

Tello balked and looked down at the floor. “It’d be best if both of you are here to hear this.”

“Very well,” Splinter replied and began preparing for the others to arrive. He had his suspicions on what it was but would not voice his assumptions. He would know soon enough. 

Sliver stepped out of the room as Michelangelo and Michelle entered. “I can’t believe we beat Leo here,” Mikey said. 

“He’s probably still tired,” Michelle pointed out. “That fight was intense. I got tired just watching it.”

“He’ll be here soon enough,” Sliver said as a matter of fact. “It would be best if you prepared.”

Leah timidly approached Sliver. “Mother, there is something I have to tell you.”

“Your next clutch will be fertilized,” Sliver stated, voicing Splinter’s suspicions. 

Leah nodded. “We were careful but… the condom broke.”

“I told you,” Mikey exclaimed, causing everyone to jump. 

“Michelangelo,” Splinter warned. 

“Forgive him,” Michelle said, slapping Mikey’s arm. “He’s got it in his head that fate is determined to work against us and that any attempt in preventing children is pointless.”

“Their condom broke,” Mikey argued. “I told you something like that would happen. This only proves my point. I’m not willing to risk it. The best way to prevent it is to not do it at all.”

“You saying you haven’t had sex,” Rachael asked as she entered the dojo with Leo, followed by Donna and Raph. “And, did I hear that Miss. Perfect made a mistake.”

“Enough,” Leo warned her. 

“We haven’t,” Michelle confirmed with a sigh. “And, Leah did.”

“Enough,” Leah demanded. 

Raph looked at Mikey in disbelief. “Really? I would have put money on the two of you being the first to go at it. You guys have been all over each other since you met.”

Mikey scoffed. “Shows what you know. I know more than you think I do. I know where babies come from and, unlike you, I gotta be careful.” As soon as the words left his mouth it was apparent that he regretted them. “I’m sorry.”

“It’s alright,” Raph mumbled in response before heading over to collect his training gear. 

“He’ll be alright,” Donna reassured Mikey with a pat on the shoulder and then trotted over to Leah. “Congratulations?” She drew out the word, ending with a higher note to her voice to indicate a question. 

Leah smiled. “I’m not distraught over it, if that’s what you’re implying. I’m okay with this. I just wanted mother to understand that it wasn’t planned.”

“I’ll be available to help you,” Donna offered, “whenever you need it.”

Leah hugged Donna. “Thank you, little sister.”

“Alright,” Leo interrupted. “It’s time we got started.”

Splinter and Sliver sat off to the side to observe while Leo lead the morning lessons. There was a sense of pride that came with watching Leo take over as head the family. It was comforting to know that if anything happened to him, his children have reached the point where they can take care of themselves. 

Donatello was taking a break from training, sleeping in. He was close to his due date and this child was larger than Snow had been, limiting his movements and making sleep difficult. 

Splinter worried about him, but Donatello reassured him that everything was alright. 

After training, they showered and then loaded into the battle shell. Driving was the better option since they didn’t want to arrive at April and Casey’s covered in sewer water. It was also easier on Donatello to ride than to walk given his condition. 

Leonardo parked in the back of the store, pulling the back of the battle shell up to the loading dock. Casey was there to open the large garage door that led into a storage area. They were able to jump from the vehicle into the building without being seen.

They climbed the stairs to the apartment above. At April’s insistence, they washed their hands as soon as they entered. “No kissing them,” April warned them. “And make sure the tails of your masks stay back.”

She was sitting on the sofa with one baby in her arms and the other one dozing in a swing. She looked exhausted, which was to be expected with two newborn babies. 

Karai, Dr. Chaplin, their son, and Miwa were also visiting April and the babies. They were all comfortably seated around the room, Karai with her son on her lap. Takahashi had grown since they had last seen him, plumping up and able to sit up on his own. 

“She gave us the same set of rules,” Miwa said, walking up to give Tello a hug. “It’s good to see you again.”

Tello returned the embrace and then headed over to see Takahashi first. “He’s looking well.”

“I managed to formulate a lotion to help clear up his rash,” Dr. Chaplin said. “He’s a happy healthy baby and has been hitting all his developmental milestones.”

“Here,” Karai said, handing Takahashi up to Tello.

Sitting down on the ottoman, Tello placed the baby on his knee. “How’re you holding up,” he asked April. 

“The braces make August uncomfortable so no one is sleeping well,” April answered. “Casey’s mom has been a godsend. I don’t think I would be able to do this without her.”

“Where is your mother,” Leo asked Casey as he sat next to April to get a closer look at the baby.

“She’s down in the shop with Sid, running things for us,” Casey said as he lifted the baby from the swing and took her over to Tello. “She’s got a birthmark over her heart but she’s healthy.”

“She’s beautiful,” Tello said, running his finger over Cassey’s hair. “She ended up with black hair.”

“August ended up with red,” Leo said, smiling down at the baby. 

“You wanna hold him,” April offered Leo. “Just be careful with his braces and watch his head.”

“Yeah,” Leo said, holding out his arms. “I could use the practice.”

“Here.” Casey offered Cassey to Splinter. “You are her surrogate grandfather after all.”

“Sit here,” Karai offered as she stood from the plush armchair. “It’s easier to hold a baby for an extended period of time if you are seated.”

“Thank you,” Splinter said, taking the baby into his arms before sitting down. She was small, barely weighed anything, no more than a sack of flour, but the fear of dropping her made her heavy in his arms. He appreciated the chance to sit. 

Her deep blue eyes studied him, curious but not frightened by the new face. Splinter smiled. There was something about the way a baby smelled that warmed the heart. 

Sliver stood next to Splinter and lovingly gazed down at the baby. “They are beautiful, April.” 

“They are,” Rachael agreed. “I’ve only just met them but I will beat the snot out of anyone who hurts them.”

“That’s a bit much,” Michelle said. 

“I mean it,” Rachael stated flatly. “They’re small and helpless. I want to keep them safe.”

“That’s how I felt when I first saw Snow,” Donny said. 

Dr. Chaplin stood up and offered Donatello his seat. “Not much longer until you have your second.”

“Not soon enough,” Donny chuckled as he sat. “This one is causing a great deal of discomfort. It is not a mere three pounds like Snow was.”

“You should come in for another exam,” Dr. Chaplin said. “Your plastron is preventing your stomach from adequately expanding. We can check its development and how it’s positioned. If there is any danger of internal damage for you, we can c-section it out.”

“The thought of that terrifies me,” Donnie admitted, placing his hand on his stomach. 

“Having the baby early, in a controlled environment is better than something going wrong and losing the both of you,” Leatherhead pointed out. 

“You’re right,” Donny said, looking up at Leatherhead. Nodding his head, Donny locked eyes with Dr. Chaplin. “I will come in tomorrow.”

“I’ll come with you,” Tello offered. “I want to run a few tests on the mutagen samples using their equipment.”

“I’ll go too,” Leo said. “I hate not being able to contribute to the protection of the city. At the very least I can help advise Karai’s next move against Hun.”

“There’s no reason you can’t fight with the Foot,” Raph said. “Just because Don and I are out of the big fights doesn’t mean you all have to be. I can take the girls on patrols for petty crime while you, Mikey, and Tello fight with the Foot against Hun and his men.”

“Did those words really come out of your mouth,” Mikey asked, leaning over to look Raph in the eyes. “You’re okay with teaming up with the Foot? You feeling okay?”

“I’m not saying I’m on board with moving in with them,” Raph replied, pushing Mikey’s face away. “But, they’ve proven that we can trust them so allying ourselves with them isn’t such a bad idea as it seemed a year ago.”

“It’s good to see you finally come around,” Leo said. 

He stood and walked August over to Leah and silently offered her a turn to hold him. Leah took the seat Leo had just vacated, next to April. It was her first time holding a baby and it showed. April helped adjust August in her arms for the most comfortable position. 

“Don’t read too far into it,” Raph said, crossing his arms over his plastron. “I just know that we need to do whatever it takes to stop Hun. He’s getting out of control.”

“Can we not talk about the atrocities of the city right now,” April requested. “I’ve got enough on my mind. I don’t need to worry about Hun coming after the babies to get to you guys.”

“August’s discomfort is not the only thing to keep her up at night,” Casey said. 

“You are welcome to come stay with the Foot,” Karai offered. “Hun will not be able to get to you there.”

“I might just take you up on that offer,” April said. She leaned in closer to Leah so that she could look down at August. “I don’t feel safe.”

“We can escort you back with us today,” Karai said. 

“I’ll pack our bags and let ma’ know,” Casey said as he headed into the bedroom. 

“Thank you,” April said to Karai as the weight of worry lifted from her. There was enough strain and worry that came with being a new mother. The fear of meeting the wrath of a sociopath should not be one of them.


	60. Keeping a Secret

Donna lay pressed against Raph in the hammock, doing her best to comfort him. Having used up the last of his supply of pills earlier that day, he was already in the early stages of withdraw.

They were waiting for everyone to go to sleep so that they could sneak out. For some reason, some of them had decided to stay up late. The longer they had to wait, the worse Raph would get. If they didn’t leave soon, he wouldn’t be able to leave at all. 

“You okay?” Donna whispered. 

Raph lifted his hand to show her that it was starting to shake. “I feel tingly.”

“We’ll leave soon,” she promised. 

“Maybe we should wait,” Raph said. “I don’t want to cause Don anymore stress than he’s already under. You can go and get me more pills and we can do this after he’s had the baby.”

“We start down that path you will keep finding reasons to put this off.” Donna shook her head. “We do this now. You back out, I will tell them.”

“Fine,” Raph huffed, turning his head away. 

“Donny will be fine,” Donna said, kissing Raph’s cheek. 

They waited in silence for the others to go to bed. When they could no longer hear any noise, they waited a little longer before Donna got up to check. 

The lights in the lair were off with the exception of a few nightlights. With the note explaining that they had decided to go on a lovers’ retreat, in her hand, Donna made a dash to the dining room to leave it on the table. It was the best cover story she could come up with.

With that done, Donna collected a few more items and then snuck out with Raph. 

To avoid Don’s security cameras, they stayed out of the secured tunnels. This caused Donna to be on high alert. If anyone were to attack now, Raph was in no condition to fight them off. She was their only defender and that fact made her uneasy. 

Raph was equally anxious to get to relative safety. Though he shivered uncontrollably and his movements were stiff, he pushed himself, leading the way to his hideout. 

When they reached the location, Donna wasn’t surprised to see that it was an old subway station. She followed Raph as he made his way past the turnstiles and deeper into the abandoned structure. What did surprise her was the large tree, growing in the middle of one of the rooms. 

“It’s beautiful,” she said as she peered up into the branches. She had never seen a live tree before. She like the way it smelled. 

Raphael had tied his supplies to the branches in an attempt to keep the vermin away. Reaching into one of the baskets, he pulled out a long rope and handed it to Donna. “It will probably be best if you tie me to the tree. That way I can’t escape… or hurt you… when the withdraws get really bad.”

“As long as everything is well padded,” Donna said, running her hand along the rough bark. “I don’t want you getting rope burn or hitting your head against the tree.”

Raph nodded. “I’ve got blankets and cushions to set up against the tree and some wrist guards.” He was suddenly overcome with a full body shiver and had to lean against the tree for support. “The sooner you tie me up the better,” Raph stated. “The cravings are getting bad.”

“Alright,” Donna said and then got to work setting up where Raph was going to spend the next few weeks. 

She laid out a make shift nest against the tree using the cushions and blankets while Raph put on the pair of wrist guards. Digging in her own supplies, she pulled out a package of disposable mattress protectors. Raph wasn’t going to be able to move whenever he needed to relieve himself. The mats would make it easier for cleanup and disposal. 

Raph saw the pad and, understanding what they were for, he looked away in shame. The next few days were not going to be pleasant for either of them. 

Donna then tied one end of the rope around Raph’s wrist and walked it around the tree while Raph settled himself on the nest. Making sure there was no way for Raph to reach the knots, Donna tied his other wrist. 

“You okay,” she asked him when she was done. “Give it a test.”

Raph struggled against his restraints, doing his best to find a way to undo them. “I think they’re good,” he declared, out of breath after several attempts. “It’s uncomfortable but it will keep me in place.”

“What would you have done if I wasn’t here,” Donna asked, sitting beside him. “You wouldn’t’ve been able to tie yourself to the tree.”

“I probably would have continued doing what I have been all this time, kept making excuses and putting it off,” Raph confessed, “putting my family in danger every time I left to get more drugs.” He let out a deep breath and shook his head. “I don’t want to do this.”

“I’m here,” Donna soothed. “I’ll help you get through this.”

“It’s not gonna be pretty,” Raph said. “I looked up what happens during withdraws. I’m gonna be a nightmare.”

“I know,” Donna replied, caressing the top of Raph’s head. “I can handle it.”

Raph’s good eye filled with tears. “I can get mean.”

Donna did her best to smile. “I know. I’ll try not to take anything you say to heart.”

“I’m sorry,” Raph sobbed. “You shouldn’t have to do this. I’m afraid you’re gonna hate me when this is all done.”

“I’m not gonna hate you.” Donna wiped the tears from his cheek and kissed his beak. “You can make it up to me later.”

“I’m scared,” he said in a harsh whisper. “What if something goes wrong?”

“I’m scared too,” Donna admitted. “But, it has to be done.”

They had a rough road ahead of them. One where many things could go wrong. Donna was going to have to keep him clean and hydrated while dealing with his outbursts. 

Donna hoped that the area they were in was secluded enough that no one could hear him. If one of their enemies stumbled upon them, there would be no way she alone would be able to keep them safe. 

“It already hurts so much,” Raph said, closing his eye as he body shivered. “Maybe we shouldn’t do this. I functioned okay on the pills. The only reason I failed in the tournament was because I had to cut back to make what I had left last. If I had been taking my normal amount, I would have made it further.”

Donna shook her head. “You have to do this,” she insisted.

“Why?” Raph pleaded. “I need them. I’m in pain without them.”

“The pain is the withdraws,” Donna argued. “Your body is lying to you because it wants more drugs. Once you get through this, the pain will go away.”

“You don’t know that,” Raph snapped. 

“No, I don’t,” Donna admitted, trying her best not to let his anger get to her. “If you still have pain when this is over then we can talk to Donny or Dr. Chaplin about how to manage it, safely.”

“Or I can just keep taking the pills,” Raph insisted.

“Where are you going to get them” Donna asked him. “Hun? What if he decides to lace them with something? It could kill you. What if he catches you? If you don’t get them from Hun, are you going to rob a hospital? You’d have to if you want the dosage you were taking. You gonna tell your brother? Donny won’t give them to you and I’m not gonna get them for you.”

“You’re right,” Raph said through clenched teeth. “I know you’re right. But, I don’t want to do this anymore. I don’t like this at all. I’ve had the flu and it was nothing compared to this.”

Donna held up a bottle of water for Raph to drink. “Would you like me to call your family? Maybe Dr. Chaplin will be able to help you better than I can.”

Hastily swallowing some of the water, Raph shook his head. “No. I still don’t want them to know about this. I’d rather suffer than have them know. Please, don’t call them.”

“Okay,” Donna agreed and held the bottle back up to his lips. “Drink some more but not too fast, you don’t want to upset your stomach.”

Raph took a few more, steady swigs from the bottle. When he drank about half, Donna set the bottle aside and got to work sorting the supplies. 

Raph had stocked several nonperishable items like peanut butter and crackers along with water and some canned foods. They had enough supplies to get them through the next few weeks. 

“Can you not do that right now,” Raph requested. “All that banging is making my headache worse.”

The pain in his voice made Donna’s heart ache. “Okay,” she replied quietly. She had been barely making any noise at all. “Do you need anything?”

“Just quiet,” Raph whispered. 

“I’ll let you try and rest then,” Donna said. 

Donna set up her sleeping mat in the far corner of the room. She wanted to be in the same room as Raph, just in case, but, if he was already having a sensitivity to sound, she also wanted to give him his space. 

It had only been six hours since he had taken his last pill. Things were going to get worse long before they would start to get better. 

Pulling her doll from her bag, Donna held it tight and she tried to get some sleep while she still could.


	61. No Way Out

Haunting memories plagued his dreams. Sometimes he would revisit past mistakes. There had been many times where he had barely managed to escape death. His brothers looking at him in desperation as they cradle their broken bodies, the fear of death in their eyes. 

Sometimes his fears of the future manifest themselves. In the worst ones he finds his family dead, their milky eyes looking up at nothing. A blade from nowhere would pierce through him, a feeling he remembered well and one he will never forget. 

He dreams changed as his family grew. He had seen Snow, dead among the rubble more times than he would like to count. He has heard Rachael’s screams mixed with Hun’s laughter or the sounds of Bishop’s saws. 

“You’re alright,” Rachael’s voice echoed in the darkness. “It’s just a dream.”

Leo’s eyes snapped open. Taking a few steading breaths, he waited for the dreams to fade before turning his head to look at Rachael. There had been times where he thought he was awake and turned to find her dead. He had learned to wait. 

“I’m okay,” he whispered, kissing her forehead. “I’m sorry I woke you.”

“Don’t,” Rachael replied. “You don’t need to apologies.”

Leo looked at the clock and saw that it was nearly five in the morning. “I might as well get up.” Getting out of bed, he collected his gear. “It’s my turn to fix breakfast anyway.”

“Get me when it’s ready,” Rachael mumbled, closing her eyes and pulling the blanket higher. 

Leo leaned over the bed and kissed her cheek. “I love you.”

“Love you too,” Rachael replied with a yawn. 

Leo entered the kitchen to find Donny leaning over the counter. “You okay,” he asked, rushing over to check on his brother. 

“I need to get this baby out,” Donny replied out of breath. 

“We’re taking you today,” Leo reassured him while rubbing Don’s carapace. “Dr. Chaplin will take care of you.”

“I’m looking forward to it,” Donny grunted, drooping his head as his hand came up to cover his stomach. The pain in Donny’s expression gave Leo cause for concern. 

“You okay,” Leo asked. 

Donny looked at Leo and forced a smile. “The baby’s moving and there’s not much room for it.”

“Do you need us to take you now,” Leo asked. 

Donny stayed silent for a moment as he thought about it. “Yeah, I think so,” he whimpered, nodding his head. “I want to go now.”

“I’ll get the others,” Leo said and rushed out of the kitchen. 

Taking the stairs two at a time, Leo made a mad dash for Donny’s lab but quietly entered. Since Leatherhead suffered nightmares as bad if not worse than Leo’s, there was a level of caution needed when waking him. 

“Leatherhead,” Leo called softly from across the room. “You need to wake up.”

With a low rumble, Leatherhead’s eye opened. There was an intensity in his gaze as it shifted to Leo. “What is it?”

“Don wants to go now,” Leo said as he carefully made his way to Snow’s crib. “He’s in pain. I need you to go to the kitchen and help him into the Battle Shell. I’ll take care of Snow and wake the others.”

“Are we brining her as well,” Leatherhead asked. 

“Whatever happens, it is likely Don will be staying there for a few days,” Leo said. “Are you going to be staying there with him and do you want Snow to be there with you?”

“Yes, to both,” Leatherhead said as he headed for the door and pointe to a bag on the floor. “Don’t forget her diaper bag.”

Leonardo slung the bag over his shoulder and then lifted Snow from her crib. She sighed softly as he adjusted her in his arms but stayed asleep.

As he headed back down the stairs he saw Leatherhead carrying Donny from the kitchen and turned his attention to waking the others. One by one he knocked on bedroom doors, speaking loud enough for his voice to carry, “We need to go,” then he would wait for a reply before moving on. 

When he got to Raph’s door, there was no answer so he knocked harder. “Raph!” When he was met with silence a second time, he tried the door. Finding it was unlocked, he opened it. “Raph, we need to go. Raph?”

The room was empty. 

Closing the door, Leo walked to the bottom of the stairs and called up to the upper levels. “Raph? Donna?”

“What’s going on,” Mikey asked, yawning as he exited his room. “Where are we going?”

“Don needs to see Dr. Chaplin now,” Leo answered. “We’ll have breakfast and training there while we wait. Also, Raph’s not in his room. I don’t think he’s in the lair.”

Leo looked over to see Leatherhead waiting on the platform, worry etched on his face. Where ever Raph was, they couldn’t worry about it now. They needed to get Donny to the Foot headquarters. 

“Everyone, grab your gear and load into the Battle Shell,” Leo said and then turned to head into the dojo. “Father?” he called out as he entered. 

“What is it, Leonardo,” Splinter asked, coming from his room. “Why is there such a commotion so early in the morning?”

“Donatello is in pain,” Leo answered. “We’re heading to the Foot headquarters now. I’ll do morning training there.”

“Give us a moment longer and we will join you,” Splinter said. 

“Raphael isn’t home,” Leo said, shaking his head. “Donna must be with him. I do not know where they have gone, nor do I have time to investigate.”

“We will wait here for them and check in to see if they went to visit any friends,” Splinter offered. “Go.”

“Thank you, father,” Leo said, bowing before turning to exit. 

He hurried to the Battle Shell and handed Snow to Leatherhead before getting in the driver’s seat. 

It was still dark when they reached the surface and Leo turned down a back road to avoid as many people as possible. It was still early enough on a Sunday morning that traffic was sparse so they were making good time. Things were going well enough that Leo started to relax. 

A loud bag and the Battle Shell pulling to the side, indicating a blown tire, ruined that feeling. “Typical.” Rolling his eyes, Leo pulled into an alley so that he could get out and investigate without being seen.

After checking to make sure no one was around, Leo opened the door and stepped out. As soon as his foot touched the cold pavement, there was a sharp pain in his shoulder. In the second it took him to turn his head and see the dart, his vision started to turn black and he felt himself start to fall. 

….. 

“Leonardo.” The silky voice echoed called out to him. His thoughts were muddied and nonsensical. The room was spinning and his stomach churned. 

“Wake up,” the voice demanded. 

He knew the voice but his mind was too groggy to place it. His eyes fluttered open. He was on the floor, in the dark. There was someone next to him. He tried to reach out but his body wouldn’t respond. 

“I thought you were stronger than this,” the voice mocked. “Maybe I overestimated you.”

“Bishop,” Leo mumbled as he struggled to regain control of his body and mind. “What…?”

“I captured you,” Bishop said. “I will admit, it took longer than I would have liked, but my patience payed off. I’ve had agents all over the city, lying in wait for months.”

“Why,” Leo asked, regaining enough control to begin lifting himself off the hard ground. 

“You’re my prisoner,” Bishop stated. “I get to ask the questions first.” He waited for Leo to get himself into a sitting position. “Where did the females and second Donatello come from?”

Leo’s head was spinning so bad that he had to close his eyes and take a few deep breaths to keep from throwing up. There would be nothing gained in lying so he stuck to the truth. “Don managed to make an interdimensional portal.” 

“How is it that Donatello is still alive,” Bishop asked. “He should have dissolved by now. Or, is he also from another dimension?”

Leo looked up to see that he was in a small, windowless cell with Rachael. Bishop’s voice must have been coming through a speaker system. He could hear banging in the distance but could not identify where it was coming from. 

“The Donatello from the other dimension managed to stabilize him,” Leo answered, reaching down to check on Rachael. She was unconscious but alive. There were signs that she put up a good fight. 

“How?” Bishop demanded.

Leo shrugged. “You’ll have to ask him. I don’t know.”

“He’s in no condition to answer any questions,” Bishop said. 

Leo’s heart sank and his head snapped up to look directly into the camera on the wall. “What did you do to him?”

“Nothing,” Bishop stated. “As soon as he came too, he tucked himself into his shell and hasn’t come out. I didn’t know you could do that.”

“We can’t,” Leo said. “His fear understandable given the fact that the last time he was captured, his was forced to watch as his family was tortured and killed,” he said aggressively enough to make his head throb. Resting his head in this hand, he took a few deep breaths. “What about the others? What did you do with Donny? He needs medical attention.”

“We’ve removed the baby from Donatello,” Bishop said. “They are both in the lab along with the little girl for testing. The large crocodile isn’t happy about it.”

That would explain the banging, Leo thought. “What about Mikey and the other two females?”

“The female whose oviducts were filled with the frightened Donatello’s sperm is in a cell with him,” Bishop answered. It didn’t surprise Leo one bit that Bishop conducted such invasive tests on them “Michelangelo and the other female are in a cell together. I plan on injecting him with that hormone that will drive him to mate. When the females lay their eggs, I will collect them.”

“You would take our children,” Leo said in disbelief. “We’re not your enemy. We fight for the same things. Why are you doing this?”

“Soldiers. It is something I have wanted for a while now,” Bishop replied. “Why else do you think I gave Donatello a uterus?”

“What,” Leo asked, not fully understanding Bishop’s meaning.

“You have proven yourselves to be formidable fighters,” Bishop answered. “The only problem is that I lack complete control over you. Your children will be raised to obey me. However, if you can get the other Donatello to tell me how he stabilized the clone, I won’t need you or your children. Since you have done so much for this world, I will release you and you will never have to worry about me again.”

“I can’t do anything from in here,” Leo said as a matter of fact. “Put us all together, including Donatello and his children, then we can work something out.”

“That can be arranged,” Bishop replied followed by a click that ended the connection.


	62. I Can't

Donna had only managed to doze for a few hours before Raph’s whimpers woke her up. When she got up to checked on him, he was drenched in sweat and was constantly shifting in an attempt to alleviate the pain. 

She had to change the mat under him. The strong scent and dark color of his urine indicated that he was dehydrated so she tried to get him to drink more but only managed to get him to take a couple of sips. 

“You need to drink,” she insisted and pressed the bottle up to his lips. 

“I don’t want it,” Raph replied, turning his head away. “If I drink any more, I’m gonna puke.”

“Fine,” she said as she put the bottle aside. “Maybe later.”

She placed her hand on his chest in an attempt to comfort him but it caused him to wince. “It hurts,” Raph whimpered, straining against his restraints. “I hurt all over. I’ve been at death’s door before and it was nothing like this. This was a bad idea.”

“You have to let the drugs work their way out of your system,” Donna reminded Raph, placing her hand on his head to gage his temperature. He felt cold despite being covered in sweat. “Your body is lying to you, making you believe you need the drugs.”

“You don’t need to keep reminding me,” Raph hissed and turned his head away. “It’s easy for you to sit there and repeat what you’ve read but you don’t know what this is like. I’ve never been this sick.”

“Neither have I,” Donna said. “All I have is the research I’ve done. I’ve never been through anything like this so I cannot speak from firsthand experience.”

“Fuck you,” Raph snapped. 

“Raph,” Donna said in disbelief, clueless to what she had said that caused him to lash out.

“You’re so perfect,” Raph said through gritted teeth, his voice trembling. “Too good to get yourself into this kind of situation.”

“That’s not what I meant,” Donna stated. “I’m doing what I can to help you through this.”

Raph looked her in the eyes. “Then give me something for the pain.”

“I can’t,” Donna insisted. “If I give you anything, it will set back your recovery. The drugs….”

“… need to leave my system,” Raph finished for her. “Yeah I know. You’re like a fucking parrot.”

“I’m doing the best I can,” Donna said as she fought back the urge to cry. She knew that this wasn’t him. The withdraws made him irritable. He didn’t mean what he was saying. 

“Well, you’re failing,” Raph shouted, causing her to jump. “You’re no help at all.”

“You’re the one who’s failing,” Donna shot back. It was starting to get to her. Part of her wanted nothing more than to break her promise and call his family. Let them deal with him. “It hasn’t even been a day and you’re already ready to give up. I thought you were stronger than that.”

“Fuck you, you fat, bucked tooth, bitch” Raph growled. 

“Fuck you too.” Donna stood and backed away. It was getting to be too much. “I need a break.” Turning on her heel, she left the room to let Raph cool down on his own. 

“Trusting you was a mistake,” Raph yelled after her. “This whole thing was a mistake.”

He continued to yell after she left the room. It was hard to hear the cruel things he was saying. He was testing her. He wanted her to give up on him because maybe then she would give him what he wanted. 

She made her way to the turnstiles and had to fight the urge to keep going. 

Once alone, Donna sat down and allowed the tears to flow freely. She had known that it wasn’t going to be easy but she hadn’t expecting it to be so difficult. She had to keep reminding herself that it was only temporary. In a few weeks, Raph would be better and back to the way he was. 

But, try as she might, doubt was a strong force. She looked towards the other room as the dark thoughts started to take over and fill her mind with uncertainty and fear. 

What if the Raph she knew, the Raph she had fallen in love with, was because of the drugs and once they were out of his system he turned out to be someone completely different? She didn’t want to be with someone who was angry and irritable all the time. 

She rubbed the tears from her eyes and took a few deep, steading breaths. “I can do this.” It needed to be done and he needed her to be strong enough to do it. She would deal with who he becomes after this is over. 

She grew suspicious when there was silence from the other room. 

Getting to her feet, Donna walked over to check on Raph. She peeked through the entrance, making sure to stay out of his sight. He was mumbling to himself as he struggled against the restraints. No doubt he wanted to escape so that he could get his hands on more pills. 

Given his current state of mind, leaving the security of the sewers would be disastrous. If he didn’t wander into a crowd of people in his confusion, he would end up captured by Hun while attempting to steal more drugs. 

Fortunately, this was something they had planned for. They made sure that Donna had tied him up in a way that he would be unable to break free, even with his skills. 

With nothing else to do, she decided to watch him, just to see what he would do. She was exhausted so she sat, leaning heavily against the wall but stayed where she could watch him. 

After a while, he gave up and continued mumbling to himself while he shifted his position. The lack of sleep was catching up to Donna, causing her eyes to drift shut. 

She must have dozed off because she was jerked awake by the sound of Raph yelling. 

“Donna! Get them off! Help me! Please!”

Donna jumped to her feet and rushed in the room. “What’s wrong?”

“The bugs,” Raph whimpered. “I’m covered in bugs. Get them off me!”

Moving in for a closer look, Donna searched for any bugs that were on Raph but she didn’t find any. Everything she had read in preparation for this said that Hallucinations were a symptom of withdraws. 

She brushed her hands over him as if she were sweeping away the bugs, hoping it would help. “They’re going away,” she soothed. 

“They’re everywhere,” Raph shrieked. “Get them off me!”

“It’s not real,” Donna said, doing her best to get him to focus on her. “There are no bugs.”

His eye was glazed over, darting around in panic and focused on nothing. “They’re eating me!”

“They’re not real,” Donna whispered and kissed Raph’s head. “You’re okay.”

“Why are you letting me suffer,” Raph wailed. 

“Close your eye and focus your mind,” Donna said as she cradled him against her. His flesh was clammy and cold. “There are no bugs. Your mind is playing tricks on you.”

With his eye closed, Raph pressed his head against her chest. His breathing was labored and his body trembled. “I can’t do this.”

“Once it’s all over, it will be worth it,” Donna promised. “You won’t have this addiction lording over you anymore.”

“Splinter?” Raph mumbled, pulling away from Donna to look around the room. 

“He’s not here,” Donna told him. “It’s just us.”

“I’m sorry, father,” Raph sobbed, his eye focused on nothing. “Please,” he begged over and over. “Don’t. I’m sorry. I wanna go home. I’ll be a good son. Just let me come home. I’ll behave.”

Donna began to cry when she realized that Raph was seeing his worst fear. “It’s all in your head,” Donna said, doing her best to comfort him. 

Despite Donna’s best efforts, Raph stopped seeing her and focus on his hallucinations. He rambled nonsense to things and people only he could see. It pained her to see him like this, knowing that there was nothing she could do to help him. 

She stayed with him, feeling helpless, wishing it would end. Morning came and went. Raphael was still rambling, unable to sleep as the day faded once again into night. 

Donna tried several times to get him to drink and eat but to no avail. He would spit out anything she managed to get in his mouth. 

When she talked to him there was no indication that he knew she was there. His eye remained focused on nothing and he constantly mumbled. 

She did her best to keep him clean but it was difficult without his cooperation. Her exhaustion had her in an emotional state. She worked through her tears as she rolled him from side to side to remove and replace the pad. 

By the middle of the next day, Raph fell silent and his eye closed. Relieved that he was finally asleep, Donna curled up against him and passed out.


	63. Last Hope

Leonardo was startled when two of the walls started to move. They lifted up to reveal four other rooms, quadrupling the size of his small cell. 

Each segment contained the others, paired off, with the exception of Leatherhead, who had been alone in the cell next to Leo. He looked to be enraged and Leonardo couldn’t help but worry. If Leatherhead went into a rampage, someone was going to end up hurt. 

In the other cell, that had once shared a wall with his, Leah was with Tello, who was still tucked in his shell. She was laying over him, doing her best to offer him comfort. This situation was too similar to how he had lost his family. The fear of this playing out the same way must have been suffocating for him. 

The adjacent cell held Mikey and Michelle. They were curled up together, both looking confused and a little frightened. Michelle had been crying and, like Rachael, Mikey was injured from the fight. 

“Leo,” Mikey called out as he untangled himself from Michelle and ran over. “What’s going on?”

“Bishop,” Leo answered as he checked Mikey’s injuries. “Looks like you put up a good fight, little brother.”

“Not to brag but I held on the longest,” Mikey said with a grin. It was a relief to see that he was still in good humor. “Rachael fought like a mad woman.” He looked at her. “She doing okay?”

“I think so,” Leo said, looking over his shoulder. “Her injuries don’t seem to be life threatening. She just appears to be sedated at the moment.” 

“They hit her with, like, three darts,” Mikey said. “I don’t think she’ll be waking up for a while.”

“If that’s the case, Leah,” Leonardo turned to his counterpart, “I know you want to stay with Tello at the moment but would you mind sitting with Rachael for a while? If she’s had too much sedative, someone needs to watch her breathing and… I can’t do that at the moment.”

“I understand,” Leah replied with a nod and then leaned in close to Tello. “I’m not going far.”

“Where’s Donatello and my children,” Leatherhead demanded in a low growl. 

“Bishop told me that he will bring them,” Leo replied. “I don’t know how long that will take.”

“They’re right outside the door,” Bishop answered over the speakers. “Behave or we won’t let him inside.”

“Kroki,” Donny said through the door. “Stay calm so we can be with you. If you try anything, he’ll hurt us. Do you understand? You have to stay calm.”

“You have my word,” Leatherhead growled and his body tensed as he fought to maintain control. “I will not attack.” 

The door that was part of Leo’s cell opened and an agent pushed Donny through in a wheelchair. The baby was bundled and in Donny’s arms. Donatello looked exhausted but well. 

Another agent who was struggling to keep a hold of an enraged Snow, followed. They had tied her snout closed with a ribbon, most likely to keep her from biting. There were bandages around the agent’s hand suggesting that she already had. 

Snow was placed on the ground and both agents backed out of the room, securing the door once they were through. 

“It’s a boy,” Donny said as Leatherhead rushed to them. 

“Are you alright, my love,” Leatherhead asked and removed the ribbon from Snow’s snout. 

“I’ll be alright,” Donny said, offering a soft smile, “as long as I don’t overdo anything. I won’t be any good in a fight and I will slow all of you down.”

“Hopefully it won’t come to fighting,” Leo said as he walked closer to them. He looked down at the baby in Don’s arms. “No wonder he was giving you troubles.”

The baby looked like a snapping turtle with massive underbite. His shell was visibly solid, even though the blanket. Like his sister, he had four fingers, three toes, and a long tail. 

“Have you thought of a name,” Mikey asked, coming up behind Leo. 

“I’ve considered a few,” Donny said as he ran his hand over the baby’s head. “I think… I like Galileo.”

Leo smiled. “Studding the Renaissance again I see.”

“I’ve actually been studying astronomy,” Donny admitted as a slight blush spread across his beak. 

“It’s a wonderful name,” Leo said. 

Donny held Galileo a little closer and looked up at Leo. His eyes were pleading and full of fear. “The way Bishop spoke to me, he didn’t out right say it, but he implied that he will take my children from me. Please…, don’t let that happen.”

It wasn’t the first time Donny had reached out to Leo in a desperate need for him to make things better. Donny relied on the team’s strength to keep him safe as much as they relied on his intellect. 

It wasn’t that Donatello was weak, on the contrary he was physically stronger than all of them due to all the lifting he had to do with his projects. Fighting simply wasn’t in his nature. He was a thinker and if he had been given the choice in life, he probably would have never chosen to be a ninja. 

“That’s not going to happen,” Leo promised and then walked over to kneel down next to Tello. “Bishop wants to know what you did to stabilize Donny. Give him that information and he will let us go.”

“Shredder made the same kind of promise,” Tello replied from inside his shell. “I can’t go through this again. If he starts killing everyone, have him kill me first.”

“He’s not going to kill us,” Leo hissed, trying not to get frustrated with the situation. He was all too familiar with what Tello was experiencing but he needed Tello to pull it together so they could go home. “He is going to keep us here and force us to breed. He will take our children and raise them to be his perfect soldiers.”

“What will he do with the ones that are reincarnated and born with defects,” Leah asked. 

“If their defects are too severe he wouldn’t see any value in them,” Leo stated flatly. “But, he won’t need any of them if you stabilize his cloning process for him.”

“I’ll give him what he wants and then he will kill us,” Tello said, still not coming out of his shell. 

“No, he won’t,” Leo assured him. “Bishop is a lot of things but he is not a liar. You give him what he wants and he will let us go.”

“Well, I can’t give him what he wants,” Tello said as he came out of his shell. “I don’t have what I need.”

“I will get what you need,” Bishop said over the speakers. 

“You can’t do that,” Tello snapped back. “What I need is back at my lab. The only other way to get it is to open a tridimensional portal to Dimension X. But, you’d have to be a fool to do that since it would lead the Kraang right to your world.”

“Don’t tempt him,” Mikey said, crossing his arms over his plastron. “He’s already done several foolish things in the name of protecting the Earth. I’m sure, in his mind, he’s sure that he could keep the Kraang from being a threat.”

“If you have what is needed in your home, I can escort you there,” Bishop said. 

“And lead you to the lair,” Tello said with a snort. “No way. You’ll just have to let me go and trust me to come back.”

“And risk you returning with the Foot instead of what you say you need,” Bishop argued. 

“Well then I guess it’s option B,” Tello huffed. “We put your world at risk by opening a portal to Dimension X.”

“What is it that you need to get?” Bishop’s tone was sounding a bit agitated. 

“Mutagen,” Tello answered. “The mutagen that made me to be exact. I brought some over from my dimension and it is what I used to stabilize Donatello.”

A long silence followed. 

“So, what now,” Leah asked. 

“He must be thinking,” Leo replied. “He’ll let us know when he’s reached a decision.” 

Kneeling beside Rachel, Leo decided to take the opportunity to check on her. She was still unconscious. As he inspected her body, he could see the different wounds from the fight and Bishop’s tests. 

The ones that bothered him the most were the small holes near where Rachael’s oviducts were located. Leo hoped that Bishop only extracted for his tests and did not inject anything into her.

When he heard the heavy clank of the door unlocking, Leo stood and faced the door. 

“Behave,” Bishop warned Leatherhead as he entered the cell. A low rumble emanated from the large crocodile in response but he did not move. 

Like Leatherhead, Leo’s defenses were up. They never knew what to expect when dealing with Bishop so they had to be ready for anything. 

Of all the reasons Leo had expected Bishop to visit them in person, he was left dumbfounded when Bishop ushered in a mutant turtle child. 

“This is Venus,” Bishop stated, indicating the child who was now clutching his leg. “She is a clone.”

“You created her…, using our DNA,” Leo assumed. “I thought you wanted to stabilize your own clones not ones of us.”

“That is not important,” Bishop replied. 

“Yes, it is,” Mikey snapped. 

“What is important,” Bishop continued, ignoring Mikey, “is that she only has a few days left, at best. Stockman and I have been trying to stabilize clones for quite some time. Your unique gifts passed down to children I raise and will be loyal to me. Sadly, the ones that were older than her have already detreated.”

He placed a hand on Venus’ carapace and looked at Tello. “I wanted you to know that it is her life I am asking you to save. If you fail to hold up your end of the bargain, she will die and there is nothing I can do to prevent it. And, there are more like her.”

“I never planned on betraying you.” Tello’s eyes were fixed on the child. “I will get you what you want but I will not lead you to the lair.”

“Fine,” Bishop replied. “Let’s go.”


	64. Out Cold

Donna woke with a stiff neck, the pungent scent of urine accosting her nose. The few streaks of sunlight that managed to pierce through the dense leaves, told her that it was nearing nightfall. That meant that she hadn’t slept long. 

Sitting up, she stretched her neck before getting to work. The first thing she did was give Raph a sponge bath. He slept through it. For that she was grateful. She didn’t think she would have been able to handle another verbal bout with him just yet. 

After she was done, she decided to stretch her aching muscles by doing some katas. While she moved, her attention kept shifting to Raph, wondering if she should wake him for breakfast or let him sleep. 

She had some crackers with peanut butter along with a granola bar and a bottle of water. She sat next to Raph, watching him as she ate. Reaching out, Donna placed her hand on his chest to feel his breathing. It was shallow. She was starting to worry. 

“Raph.” Donna shook him. “Wake up. You need to eat and drink something.”

There was no groan to protest. No twitch in his features to show that his sleep was disturbed. Nothing. 

“Raph,” she repeated a little louder, grabbing hold of his shoulder. “Wake up.”

Again, nothing. This was worrisome. Placing her food aside, Donna go up on her knees and moved closer to Raph’s face. “Raph,” she said as she patted his cheek. 

When she still got no response, Donna pinched his arm. “WAKE UP!”

Raph gave no indication that she was getting through to him and Donna started to panic. “Raph, please wake up.” She grabbed his shoulders and shook him. “Open your eyes.”

Donna had no idea what to do. She ran her hand over his forehead to test his temperature. He wasn’t warm, if anything he was a little cold. 

“Raph,” she tried again, shaking him in a futile attempt to wake him. 

She stood and began pacing back and forth. What if the withdraws was killing him? He didn’t want his family to know but she couldn’t sit there and do nothing. This was more than she was expecting to happen and she didn’t know what to do. He needed a doctor.

Her mind raced with possibilities. If this was nothing and she called for help, he would never forgive her. But, if this was serious and she did nothing, he could die. She didn’t want to lose him like that. She would rather him live and never talk to her again. 

With shaky hands she dialed Donny on the shell cell and did her best to steady her breathing while she waited for him to pick up. 

“Hello?” Donny answered. 

“Donny,” Donna sobbed, unable to contain her emotions. “I need your help.”

“What’s wrong,” he asked. “Where are you?”

“It’s a long story,” Donna said with a whimper. “But, Raph’s not doing well and I’m afraid that if he doesn’t get help soon, he’ll die.”

“Turn the phone’s tracker on,” Donny instructed. “We’ll come and get you.”

“Okay,” Donna whispered. “Hurry.”

“We’ll get there as soon as we can,” Donny replied before hanging up.

After untying Raph’s wrists, Donna continued to pace while she waited, frantic with worry. Every so often she would drop to her knees and check to make sure Raph was still breathing. As long as he was still breathing he would be okay, she kept telling herself. 

She heard footsteps in the distance, followed by unfamiliar voices. Staying out of sight, she looked out to see who it was. Her breath caught in her throat when she saw a man in a dark suit walking through the abandoned station. “Bishop.”

Though she had never seen him before, she knew it was him. Raph and his brothers had told Donna and her sisters many stories about him. The man standing in the station was exactly how they had described him. 

Several more men stepped through the turnstiles and began fanning out. 

“Check there,” Bishop said, pointing a group of men in her direction. 

Heart pounding in her chest, Donna collected her bo readied herself for a fight. She was vastly outnumbered. All she had to do was hold out long enough for the others to come. 

As soon as Bishop’s man stepped into the room, Donna cracked him over the head with her bo. The man fell to the ground in a heap, alerting the others to her presence.

“There,” Bishop called out to his men.

None of them rushed up to fight her. Instead they stood back as Bishop stalked forward. The knowing smirk on his face displayed an air of confidence. Donna knew this was a fight that she was nowhere near ready for but that wasn’t going to stop her from trying. 

Crying out, Donna attacked, swinging her bow towards Bishop’s midsection. Catching it with one hand, Bishop’s smile widened. “Cute.”

With a jerk of his wrist he pulled her forward. The last thing she knew was the searing pain of a Taser to her arm. 

…..

 

Head throbbing, Donna opened her eyes. A wave of nausea struck her and she closed them again. Covering her head with her arms, she let out a long moan. 

“She’s coming too.” Rachael’s voice was too loud. Each word made it feel like her brain was beating against her skull. 

Someone touched her shoulder. “Donna,” Leah said softly. 

Donna shushed her sister, refusing to move. Sleep was the only thing she wanted to do. She had never experienced a sickness like this in her life and the hardness of the ground was doing nothing to ease the pain. She wondered, for a moment, why she would be on the ground. 

The pain induced haze lifted enough for her to remember what had happened. In a state of panic, Donna sat up, “Raph!” and immediately regretted it. The room spun and she soon found herself lying back down on the floor. “Where are we?” she moaned, covering her head again. 

“Prisoners of Bishop,” Rachael answered flatly. 

“He got you too,” Donna asked meekly, peeking out through her arms. “Did he capture you when you came looking for us?”

“No,” Rachael scoffed. “We had no idea where you were. We never had the chance to even wonder about it. He took us by surprise on our way to Foot Headquarters.”

Donna could think of only one reason they would all head to Foot Headquarters. “Where’s Donny,” Donna asked, her need for answered trumping her desire for quiet. “Is his baby okay?”

“I’m here,” Donny answered. “And, the baby’s fine.”

“We’re all here,” Mikey chimed in. “Well, not physically in this room, but we’ve all been captured.”

Donna took a few deep breaths and tried again to sit up. “Who’s not here?” A wave of nausea threatened to empty her stomach but she managed to focus her mind enough to fight it off. 

“Tello was sent back to the lair to get his mutagen,” Leah replied. “Leo was allowed to sit with Raph while we wait.”

Donna sat with her back against the wall and looked around the room. Rachael looked like hell. Donatello was sitting in a wheel chair with the baby bundled in his lap. Leatherhead was standing near Donny, holding Snow. 

They must be so worried with their family trapped in such a place. It was hard to imagine what they were going through. It was Donny’s children Bishop had wanted. It was the whole reason he had cloned Donny. 

Mikey and Michell were sitting close together. Mikey also looked like he had recently been put through the wringer but didn’t look as bad a Rachael. Leah had been pacing. Something she usually did when she was annoyed and she was gathering her thoughts to confront its source. 

Leah knelt down in front of Donna and Donna knew there was a lecture coming. “What were you thinking?”

“Um….” Donna looked around the room and all eyes were on her. “About what?”

“Raph,” Mikey blurted out. “Bishop filled us in with what was going on. Raph could have died.”

“It’s a good thing Bishop found you,” Donny stated with the slightest amount of irritation in his voice. “His blood pressure was dangerously low.”

“You could have warned me Bishop was coming,” Donna said, wiping the tears from her cheeks. “It would have spared me a shock to the system. If I had known you were sending Bishop, I wouldn’t have tried to fight him.”

“I had no way of contacting you,” Donny replied. “I’ve been stuck here for… I don’t even know how long.”

“I called you when I realized that I couldn’t wake Raph,” Donna said. “I talked to you.”

Donny shook his head. “Bishop must have my shell cell and simulated my voice. He tricked you.”

The door opened and Leo walked through before it closed again. He glared down at Donna, making Donna wince in shame, before making his way to Rachael. “How are you?” 

“Better,” Rachael mumbled. “Any news?”

“Raph’s stable,” Leo said. Turning to Donna, his eyes narrowed. “Care to explain what the hell is going on.”

“He begged me not to tell you,” Donna sobbed, keeping her eyes fixed on the ground. “He was so ashamed. But, I told him if he didn’t quit, I would tell you. He was planning on doing it alone so I went with him. I was just trying to help him. He trusted me with his secret and I didn’t want to betray that trust.”

“Where was he getting his drugs,” Donny demanded. 

Donna looked up at him, but she couldn’t see anything, her vision was blurred with tears. “He’s gonna hate me enough as it is.” She shook her head. “I’m not telling you anymore.”

“How could we not know?” Mikey asked no one, staring blankly at the floor. 

“He hid it well,” Leo stated and began to pace the room. “Or we were too blind to see it. As the leader, I should have known something was wrong.”

“I should have been following up with him more,” Donny argued. “But, I let myself get distracted.” 

“You guys can’t beat yourselves up over it,” Michelle said. “The important thing is that he’s gonna be okay. Right?”

“He’s not gonna like the fact that it’s Bishop saving his life,” Leo said, “but at least he will live. At least, that’s what Bishop tells me.” He scoffed and shook his head. “Bishop had the audacity to offer to clone Raph, give him an undamaged body.”

The room fell into an awkward silence. No one wanted to say that it wasn’t entirely a bad idea. The chance to be whole again was a tempting offer. The question was, would Raph be the type to take it? 

“You should have told us,” Leo said to Donna. 

“I know,” Donna replied, her voice catching in her throat. “I messed up. I’m sorry.” Unable to look any of them in the eyes, Donna hid her face in her arms and cried. She would much rather be tased again than to see their disappointment in her. They were all mad at her and rightfully so, and it left her stomach in knots. It was the worst feeling.


	65. No Time

The drive back into the city was long due to congestion on the road. They had been on the road for at least an hour, barely moving. Traffic in the city was hardly ever light but there were times when it was worse than others. It just so happened that they had picked a time where it was at its peak. 

Tello sat in silence, arms crossed with his eyes fixed on a stain on the floor of the van, trying to figure out what it could be. In the back of a hollowed-out van? Knowing Bishop and the kind of men under his employment, it was probably blood. 

They drove him to Casey and April’s store. There he had access to the secure tunnels that led to the lair. He would also have the chance to tell their human friends what was going on. At the very least Casey and April would be able to get a message to the Foot. If things didn’t go well, there might still be a chance of being rescued. 

“We’ll wait here,” the man at the wheel said as they pulled in behind the building. 

“Wonderful,” Tello replied before jumping out. 

He was more than eager to be out of that van. It was still mid-morning. Not the best time to be out, but as long as he didn’t draw attention to himself, he would be able to slip into the back of the store unnoticed. 

“April,” he called out as he entered the storage room. 

“Tello?” April ran into the back and pulled him into a tight hug. “Where have you guys been? Splinter and Sliver have been beside themselves with worry. You’ve been gone for over twenty-four hours.”

“Really?” Tello exclaimed as April took a step back. Since they had left early in the morning and it was only mid-morning now, he had thought that only a few hours had passed not a full day. What had Bishop done to them in that time?

“We were ambushed by Bishop,” Tello answered, doing his best to stay focused on the now. “He’s holding the others captive and won’t release them until I replicate the treatment I used on Donatello to stabilize him. He’s got cloned turtle children that will die if I don’t.”

“That’s horrible,” April gasped. 

“Yeah,” Tello sighed. “Puts me in a tight spot. I don’t want to help the guy but what choice do I have? I’m headed back to the lair to get the mutagen from the lab so I’ll be able to tell Splinter and Sliver what’s going on. Can you call Karai and let her know what’s going on, just in case things don’t go well?”

“Of course.” April nodded. “Are the others okay?”

Tello nodded. “Bishop delivered Donatello’s baby. It’s a boy and they’re both doing fine. Mikey and Rachael are a little banged up from the fight but are otherwise okay. Everyone just wants to come home.

“I’m terrified,” he confessed as tears filled his eyes. “I can’t go through this again. It’s taking all that I have not to implode.”

April pulled Tello into a comforting embrace. “You are so brave. I know this is hard, but you can do this. Take a deep breath and focus on what you have to do, what you can do.”

“Thank you,” Tello said, returning the hug. “There’s one more thing before I go. Do you have something here that you can use to scan me to make sure Bishop hadn’t placed a tracking device on me?”

“Of course, I do,” April replied. 

Of course, she does, Tello thought to himself. Leo and Donny have several items stashed here at April’s shop. Weapons, nonperishable foods, and various gadgets, including scanning devices that detect trackers. 

April pulled one of the trackers out and gave Tello a once over. Much to his surprise, there was no tracker on him, at least not one that Donny’s devices could detect. 

Trusting Donny’s devices, Tello headed quickly to the lair. 

Even though the tunnels were secure, Tello stayed on alert. It helped him keep his mind form focusing on all the things that could go wrong. If his mind was allowed to wander into the realm of what ifs then it would leave him paralyzed.

The fear of being followed, captured, or killed was very real. He wasn’t sure if going back to the lair was the right thing to do but he had no other choice. As much as his mind was screaming to try to confuse anyone who could possibly be following him by taking the ‘scenic route’, Tello knew time was of the essence and decided to take the most direct route. 

When Tello reached the lair, he hesitated to enter. He knew that emotions would be running high and he wasn’t sure he would be able to handle it. His hands trembled as he unlocked the door. 

“Master Splinter,” Tello called out as he walked along the track. “Master Sliver?”

The pair appeared on the platform. There were streaks in the fur on their faces from their tears. Going and entire day not knowing the whereabouts of their children must have been pure anguish for them. 

“Tello,” Splinter called to him. “That is going on? Where are the others?”

The fear in Splinter’s voice cut Tello to the core. It closed his throat and it took him several tries before he could speak. Every second Tello couldn’t speak, the fear in their eyes intensified. 

“Are they alive?” Sliver pleaded. 

Tello managed a nod. “Captured,” he choked out. 

“Did they find Raphael and Donna,” Splinter asked. “Were they also captured?”

Tello shook his head. “They weren’t here when we left. They haven’t returned?”

“No,” Sliver replied tartly. “We found a note, saying they had decided to spend some quality time together, alone.”

“Get up here,” Splinter ordered. “We will find a way to save the others. Who took them? The Dragons? Bishop?”

Panic filled Tello to the point that he was finding it hard to breathe. It took all of his will to walk. “Bishop,” Tello rasped. “He wants me to formulate a way to stabilize his clones, using the mutagen from my dimension. He’s holding the others hostage until I’m able to deliver.”

His heart hammering in his chest, the room began to spin and Tello crumpled to the ground. “I can’t watch them die again!” His eyes fell on the third rail. It would be so easy to reach out and grab it, ending his suffering. 

“Listen to me,” Sliver said softly into his ear, appearing seemingly out of nowhere. Her hand was on his carapace, patting ever so gently in a steady beat. “Focus on your breathing.” Her other hand was on his chest. “Take a deep breath and let it out slowly.”

Closing his eyes, Tello concentrated on the sound of her voice and timed his breathing with her words. “In and out….”

The tightness faded and breathing slowly became easier. When his eyes began to focus, he saw Splinter sitting in front of him with a bag in his lap.

Reaching in the bag, Splinter pulled out a canister of mutagen. “Is this what you need?”

Tello nodded and wondered how long his panic attack had lasted. 

“Drink this,” Sliver said, handing Tello a cup of tea. 

It must have been a while, if they had time to make him tea.

It was herby, most likely something without caffeine and sweetened with honey. Tello was never much of a tea drinker but he found comfort in the warmth of it. Whatever herbs that were in the brew helped to settle his nerves. 

“Thank you,” Tello said before taking another sip. “I’m sorry….”

“Don’t,” Sliver stopped him. “Do not apologize. None of this is your fault. We hadn’t considered the fact that you’ve been through something like this before. We should be the ones apologizing.”

“I’m not going to be able to do what Bishop wants if I keep panicking,” Tello stated. Setting the cup on the ground, he reached out for the bag with an unsteady hand. “I should head back. The sooner I get this done, the sooner this will end.”

“Do you need anything else,” Splinter asked as he handed over the bag. 

For this to be over, Tello thought to himself. He wanted nothing more than to curl up under a blanket and wait for it all to end. “Just the mutagen,” He answered, shaking his head. 

“Would you like us to walk with you,” Sliver offered. It was as much for their peace of mind as it was for his. They needed to make sure he made it to his destination. 

Tello nodded. “That would be nice.”

“Okay,” Sliver said, helping Tello to his feet. 

Together the trio made their way back to April’s shop. Splinter scouted ahead while Sliver walked beside Tello with her arm around him. With them there, Tello was able to focus on his breathing and allow his mind to go numb. 

He vaguely remembered April helping him out to the van. All he wanted was to sleep. Laying on the floor of the van, Tello curled himself around the bag and closed his eyes. 

One of the Bishop’s men roughly nudged him on the shoulder to wake him but said nothing. It took all of Tello’s strength to move, every inch of him felt heavy. Slinging the bag over his shoulder, he followed the men out of the van. 

He was led down the hall and into a lab. The tightness in his chest was back. It was all too similar to the way Shredder treated him. The men left him alone as soon as they reached the lab. He expected, at any moment, to see Mikey, chained and primed to be tortured as a way to motivate him to work. 

Dropping to his knees, Tello did his best to focus on his breathing but the memories of Mikey panicked and begging not to be submerged again, echoed in his mind. Whether his eyes were open or shut, he couldn’t shake the memories. 

His eyes burned with tears. Everything hurt. 

“They told me you weren’t doing well.”

Tello turned his head to see a robot with a holographic head. All he could do was stare, dumbly up at the contraption. He wasn’t even sure if it was real or is he had lost his mind. 

“This should help,” the robot said and injected Tello with something. 

“What?” Tello managed. 

“It should help with your anxieties so you can work.”

“Who are you,” Tello asked as he closed his eyes and waited for the drugs to take effect.

“My name is Baxter Stockman,” he replied. “I am here to assist and learn.” Judging by the tone of his voice, he wasn’t thrilled to be Tello’s assistant. “I’m also here to keep you on task and make sure you don’t try anything.”

“I will do what Bishop wants,” Tello stated as the tightness in his chest started to diminish. “I will need to run some blood work on the clones he wants me to stabilize.”

“That can be arranged,” Stockman said. “This is my lab so I will be able to get you anything or answer any questions you might have. I am a renowned scientist.” The air of superiority was not lost on Tello.

“I can’t tell yet of you’re in better or worse shape than the Baxter Stockman of my dimension,” Tello stated, looking Stockman over. “I’ll let you know once I get to know your situation better.”

Curiosity piqued, Stockman asked, “What happened to my counterpart?”

“He was mutated into a fly,” Tello replied flatly. “He also claimed to be great but wasn’t really. Average at best. He messed up a lot. Which is why he ended up being mutated into a fly.”

“I assure you that I am a genius,” Stockman insisted. 

“Then why are you a robot?” Tello shot back, managing a half smile. 

There was no humor in Stockman’s glare. “It seems that the medicine has done its job in helping with your anxieties. Is there anything else you need so you can start working?”

“Time,” Tello said and pulled a canister of mutagen out of the bag with a steady hand. 

“That, is limited,” Stockman said as a matter of fact. “Venus is already starting to show signs of destabilizing.”

“Then, bring her to me now.” Tello got to his feet and looked Stockman in his holographic eyes. “The sooner I start, the better.”

“Okay,” Stockman said, turning to leave the room while Tello took stock of his surroundings. 

He had all the materials he would need to formulate the stabilizing mutagen for the clones. The question was, would he have the time.


	66. Standing Still

Leonardo sat on the ground of their cell, staring across the room at nothing. The situation they were in was a little overwhelming and he need a moment to decompress. 

Rachael was laying on the ground next to him, sleeping. She was physically and emotionally exhausted. Bishop’s doctors assured him that she was well but that didn’t keep him from worrying about her. Bishop knew that she was his mate by examining her oviducts. What else did he do to her while they were unconscious?

The door to their cell was wide open now, allowing them limited access to the compound. There was no doubt that every area was heavily monitored. They were still prisoners, even though their cage had been expanded. 

At least Bishop had allowed Leonardo to call Splinter. The pain in his father’s voice as he told him about Raph left a knot in Leo’s stomach. But, it was better than not knowing anything about him at all. At least he was stable. 

Donatello was sitting with Raph now. They sat with him in rotation so that at least one of them would be there when he woke up. He had taken Snow in with him when he came in to relieve Leo. She had climbed up on the bed, curled up next to Raph and immediately fell asleep. 

Tello had returned with the mutagen and was working on a solution to Bishop’s cloning issues. More time had passed than he had originally thought, leaving him to wonder what Bishop had done to them in that time. The knot in his stomach tightened anytime he thought about it. 

Blinking his eyes to bring them back into focus, Leo looked at Mikey and Michelle. If Tello isn’t able to stabilize the clones, they would be forced to mate. Leonardo remembered the effects of Bishop  
S methods all too well. The lack of self-control was frightening. 

Their world had stopped and all they could do at the moment was wait to see which way it would go. One way or another, Bishop was going to have his soldiers. 

This led Leo to think about Venus. Bishop had said she was a clone. So, whose clone was she? If she was created using their DNA, wouldn’t that, in a way, make her their child? The thought of his child being raised by Bishop had Leo clinching his jaw. 

“You okay, Leo,” Mikey asked as he got up to move across the room. 

“I’m thinking about that child,” Leo admitted, looking towards the door. 

Mikey sat next to Leo and leaned back against the wall. “She reminds me of X-23.”

“What’s X-23?” Leo asked. 

“Comic book,” Mikey replied. “She’s Wolverine’s clone but they doubled his X chromosome to make her. I wonder if that’s what Bishop did to make Venus. Or, did he use the X chromosomes from two of us? If so, who’d he clone to make her?”

Leo sighed. “I don’t think he’d tell us if we asked.” 

“True,” Mikey said. “I guess it will be better not to dwell on it. Do you think Tello will be able to save her?”

“I hope so,” Leo said, looking his brother in the eyes. “Bishop having these clones is preferable to his plan B.”

“Yeah,” Mikey looked across the room to where Michelle was sitting next to Donna, comforting her sister. “I don’t want plan B to happen either. I’m not ready for kids but I sure as hell don’t want Bishop to have them.”

“Leonardo.”

Looking up, Leo saw Stockman standing in the doorway. Of all the people he wished never to see again, Stockman was one near the top of the list. 

“The other Donatello has requested you,” Stockman said. “I’ll take you to him.”

“Please, call him Tello,” Leah said. “Calling him the other Donatello is degrading.”

“I don’t care,” Stockman replied tartly. 

“Someone’s bitter over losing their job to ‘the other Donatello’ and being demoted to errand boy,” Mikey said with a level of bitterness that was rare for him.

“I would have been able to stabilize the clones if I had the mutagen,” Stockman snapped. “His only advantage is having access to a substance I didn’t even know existed.”

“Sure it is,” Leo said as he got to his feet. “Shal we go?”

“This way,” Stockman grumbled, turning to lead the way. 

Stockman was wasting his time. Leo knew the way to the lab, he had already been there to check in on Tello and to let him know about Raph. It must stem from his need to control something or a desire to be included. 

The last time Leo saw him, Tello seemed to be doing well but that was all thanks to him being medicated. Leo hoped that whatever they were giving him didn’t have long term side effects. This whole experience was going to be traumatizing enough. 

One more thing to fuel his nightmares. 

Leo entered the lab to find Venus sitting quietly on an exam table while Tello worked. It was the first time Leo had been able to really look at her since she had been presented to them as incentive to cooperate. 

Leo wasn’t sure if it was his imagination running away with him or if he really saw a bit of himself in her. 

“Oh, good,” Tello greeted Leo with a stoic expression. “Come in, sit down.”

“Stockman said you needed me,” Leo said as he entered the room. 

Stockman moved to stand on the other side of Venus. Leo had to suppress a moan, knowing that Stockman wasn’t going anywhere. 

“I need your blood,” Tello stated and gestured for Leo to sit. 

“Couldn’t you have just asked Bishop for some from his supply,” Leo snarked as he sat down. “It would save me the trouble of being stuck with a needle.”

“I need a fresh sample,” Tello replied. “One without the preservatives.”

“Why mine,” Leo asked, though he already had an idea why.

“Bishop used your DNA to clone her,” Tello answered, confirming Leo’s suspicions. The coldness in his tone gave Leo pause for concern. Whatever it was that Stockman had given him to help with his nerves appeared to have suppressed all emotions. 

Leo looked at Venus to study her face. “Just me?”

“Just you,” Tello said as he tied an elastic ban around Leo’s bicep. “It looks as if he doubled your X chromosome.”

Leo shook his head. “Mikey was right.”

Tello found a vein and began to draw Leo’s blood. “He’s intuitive like that,” he said, not needing further explanation. “Probably similar to something he read in a comic book. My brother was the same way.”

“You are correct,” Leo forced a laugh, unable to take his eyes off of Venus. 

“Bishop favored your DNA,” Tello said as a matter of fact as he removed the needle, holding a cotton ball over the puncture. “He used it to create two of the clones. The third is a mix of Donatello and Raph.”

Leo pulled his eyes off of Venus to look up at Tello. “There’s two more?”

“That I know of.” Tello nodded while securing the cotton ball in place with tape. “Both boys. Milo is a mix of you and Mikey. Kuroko is a mix of Don and Raph. He’ll probably make more once I formulate how to keep them stable.”

There was a pit in Leo’s stomach and it took every ounce of control not to let his emotions run away with him. Taking the children from Bishop wasn’t going to do any of them any good. There was no winning in this, just accepting the lesser of two evils. 

“Is there anything more you need? I want to go check on Raph.”

“I’ve got what I need,” Tello said and turned to get back to his work. 

Before leaving, Leo walked over to Stockman and whispered, “Tell me whatever you gave him will eventually wear off. I will kill you if you’ve destroyed who he is just to get what you want out of him.”

“It will wear off,” Stockman said, unfazed by Leo’s threat. “I’ve already had to administer two more doses to keep him working. Once he’s finished and the drugs wear off, he’ll go back to sobbing in an emotional heap on the floor.”

Biting his tongue, Leo let the issue drop and left the room. He didn’t have to walk far to get to where Raph was being kept. Even if he hadn’t known the way, the sound of Donatello’s voice carried down the hall. He was reciting one of their favorite stories growing up. 

Leonardo followed the sound to the room. Raphael was still unconscious with Snow sleeping soundly next to him. Leatherhead sat in the corner, holding the baby. 

Leonardo sat next to Donny and grabbed hold of Raph’s hand. He listened as Donny concluded The Marsh King’s Daughter and then moved on to The Steadfast Tin Soldier. The fact that Donny had memorized every one of those stories amazed Leo. 

Lured into a trace by the familiar story and the even tone of Don’s voice, Leo began to doze. He barely noticed the movement of Raph’s hand or that Don had stopped talking. When it did register, Leo snapped awake. “Raph.”

Turning his head to the side, Raph moaned. 

“You’re okay, Raph,” Donny soothed. 

Raph’s eye struggled to open. He processed his surroundings while he scanned the room before looking at Leo and Don. The questioning look on his face, soon fell into one of despair. A tear rolled down his cheek and he looked away, pulling his hand out of Leo’s. 

“Raph,” Leo began. 

“Don’t,” Raph interrupted, shaking his head. “Please, just, don’t. Leave me alone.” He wiped his cheek with a shaky hand, keeping his eye averted. “I fucked up. It’s what I’m best at.”

“Daddy?” Still a little groggy, Snow sat up. “Don’t cry, daddy.”

“My sweet girl.” Raph caressed Snow’s cheek and gently pulled her toward him to kiss her forehead. “I love you so much. I know, one day, I’m gonna mess this up too.”

“I’m sorry that I failed you,” Leo said. “I put too much pressure on you, restricted you too much….”

Raph shook his head. “It’s all me. I’m making everyone miserable. I’m the screw up. I keep putting the family in danger.” 

“We’re gonna help you,” Donny insisted. 

“I don’t deserve it,” Raph replied and closed his eye. “Just leave me alone.”

“That was the mistake we made last time,” Leo said though his voice threatened to fail him. “We let ourselves get distracted with other things. This time, you’re not gonna left alone, until we’re sure you’re better. We’re gonna keep our main focus on you.” 

“Great,” Raph sighed as he fought back the tears.


	67. Horror

Leah sat with Donna, offering her a comforting shoulder. After the initial anger had worn off, Leah couldn’t sit back and do nothing while her sister cried. Eventually, Michelle and Rachael joined them and together they did all they could to calm their sister. 

“He’s never gonna forgive me,” Donna sobbed as she wiped tears from her cheeks. 

“You can’t play the pronoun game,” Rachael said. “You gotta say who you mean. There are several hes who are mad at you.”

Michelle swatted Rachael. “Not helping.”

“Raph,” Donna said. “Now, not only does his family know about the drugs but he’s being treated by Bishop. I was supposed to help him keep his secret and take care of him, but I failed.”

“He’d be dead if you hadn’t done anything,” Michelle pointed out. “Better mad at you than dead, right?”

“If you think about it,” Rachael shrugged, “if you guys had waited one more day, we’d all be right where we are now anyway.”

“Yeah,” Donna said with a sniffle. “Still. Like Rachael said, his brothers are mad at me too.” A new flood of tears washed down her cheeks and she buried her face against her knees. “They all hate me.”

“They don’t hate you,” Leah soothed. 

“Exactly,” Michelle added. “They’re really mad at themselves for not seeing the problem and are deflecting those feelings on to you.”

“That’s… very insightful of you,” Rachael said. 

Michelle shrugged. “I have my moments.”

“My biggest fear is what mother’s gonna say,” Donna mumbled. 

“Yeah….” Rachael flashed her sister a smile. “I know that feeling all too well. Don’t worry, she doesn’t stay mad for long. Her bark is often worse than her bite.”

Leah leaned in and gave Donna a tight hug. “I need to go check on Tello. I’m really worried about him. Are you gonna be okay?”

“Go,” Donna said, nodding her head. “I’ll be okay.”

“We’ll stay with her,” Michelle said with a smile. 

Leah passed Leonardo in the hall on her way to the lab. He must have just finished his shift with Raphael. 

She could see in his eyes that he was worn down. She wanted to reach out to him but knew that it wasn’t the time. They couldn’t speak freely when they were still prisoners. 

It was hard to imagine what he was going through. She had never seen one of her sisters at death’s door at least, not to the extent Leo has seen his brothers. Something like that tends to take a toll. 

In the lab, Tello was diligently working. Leah stood in the doorway for a while, watching him. He was uncharacteristically steady. 

“Did you need something,” Tello asked, without turning around. 

“To see you,” Leah replied honestly. “I’m worried.”

“I’m not,” Tello said. “I don’t feel much of anything actually.”

“That worries me more,” Leah said. 

“Don’t be,” Tello said, turning to look at her. “For the moment, I’m fine.”

“What about when we get home,” Leah asked. “Are you still going to feel nothing?”

“After this, we can’t go home,” Tello said as he returned to his work. “Raph and I will need to go to the Foot headquarters for treatment. Raphael is not done with his withdraws and I will crash hard when these drugs leave my system.”

The matter of fact way Tello was speaking caused tears to welled up in Leah’s eyes. “Are you going to be okay?”

“I should be,” Tello stated. “I have a print out of instructions to take to Dr. Chaplin. With Donna and Donatello’s help, they should be able to get me through it.”

Leah wiped the tears from her eyes and shook her head in disbelief. “Why did Bishop do this to you?”

“I believe it was to make me more complacent,” Tello answered. “Since I don’t really care about anything, I am willing to do whatever he asks.”

“You were willing to help him before he gave you the drugs,” Leah pointed out. 

“I was a nervous wreck,” Tello said as a matter of fact. “I was on the verge of a mental breakdown and had contemplated suicide several times. Without the drugs I wouldn’t be able to function.” 

“The sooner we’re out of here the better,” Leah said. 

“I will be able to fish sooner without distractions,” Tello said. 

Leah tried not to be hurt. She knew his indifference was because of the drugs but that didn’t stop the tightness from forming in her chest. “Alright.”

He didn’t say another word to her as she left the lab. Heartbroken, she decided it was best to rejoin her sisters and wait. 

They sat together, silently comforting one another while the guys talked about what they would do next. After a few hours, Donatello entered the room with Raphael. 

Shivering with a blanket wrapped around him, Raph kept his eyes on the ground. He looked like death warmed over. His once vibrant emerald completion was a few shades grayer with dark circles under his eyes. 

It wasn’t long before Tello joined them, followed by Bishop. 

“Everything’s set,” Bishop said, showing himself to them for the first time. He was smaller than Leah had thought he would be. “Your van has been repaired and it’s waiting for you in the garage.”

He waited and watched as they collected themselves. “So, I was right in assuming that the two of you were a couple,” he said to Mikey and Michelle.

“It’s none of your business, but, yeah,” Mikey replied. 

“Good.” Bishop smirked. 

Mikey looked Bishop over. “Why would you care? What have you done?”

“I had her inseminated with your sperm,” Bishop answered, flatly. 

“You did what,” Michelle demanded. 

“I did this before I realized that Donatello had been stabilized and that I could simply get that information from you instead,” Bishop said as casually as if they were talking about dinner plans. “It was less messy than forcing you to mate. The procedure was done while you were unconscious.”

“You bastard!” Michelangelo lunged at Bishop but Leo stepped between then and held him back. “How dare you do that to us,” he cried as tears filled his eyes. 

“I wanted your children,” Bishop said, unfazed by Mikey’s tone. “Now that I have them and a way to make more, I have no more need of you.”

Continuing to stand between them, Leo looked over his shoulder at Bishop. “If they are anything like us, they will see you for who you are and one day rebel against you.”

“There’s a contingency plan in place for that,” Tello stated. 

“What does that mean,” Leo asked. 

“Kill switch,” Bishop answered. “We don’t need to go into the details.”

“You’re a monster,” Mikey said through gritted teeth. 

“I do what I must to protect this planet,” Bishop said, “at any cost. It’s time for you to go. Donatello two’s time is running short. It would be best if he was under a doctor’s care when the drugs wear off. This way.”

“There’s nothing we can do about it now,” Leo told Mikey before stepping back. “Let’s get to the van and leave this horrible place.”

Mikey drew in an unsteady breath and nodded. “Okay.”

Bishop led them to the van and didn’t wait for them to leave before heading back into the building. Leonardo assisted Raphael into the back and then walked around to the driver’s seat. Rachael joined him upfront while the rest piled in the back. 

Raphael sat, curled up behind the front passenger seat, with Donatello at his side. Donatello called ahead to let the Foot know that they were on their way all while doing his best to keep Raph comfortable. 

Leatherhead sat next to them, cradling the baby in his arms with Snow curled up in his lap. 

Mikey and Michelle huddled together, doing their best to come to terms with what had happened. Leah’s heart broke for them. They had tried so hard to do the right thing and Bishop made their efforts pointless. 

Donna sat in the back with her legs pulled up to her chest and her eyes fixed on the ground. It was going to take some time to pull her from her sorrow. 

Leah sat with Tello, doing her best not to fuss over him. She watched his face as he stared blankly at nothing. 

Judging by the movements of the car, Leo was going as fast as he dared. Leah hoped it would be fast enough. After several minutes of driving, Tello blinked away a tear. “It’s getting harder to breathe.”

“We’re almost there,” Leonardo said. 

“I’ve filled Dr. Chaplin in on everything,” Donny said, reaching over to place a hand on Tello’s knee. “He’s gonna have everything ready for us when we get there.”

“What have I done,” Tello rasped as more tears fell. 

Leah grabbed his hand. “Bishop was in control of you. None of it is your fault.”

“Oh god,” Tello called out and the floodgates opened and his body shook with uncontrollable sobs. 

Snow began to cry, unsure why Tello’s mood suddenly changed. Leatherhead did his best to sooth her. 

“I’m pulling in now,” Leo said as he took the last turn a little faster than he should have, causing everyone to brace themselves to keep from falling over. 

As soon as he stopped the back doors flew opened. Tello had to be pulled screaming from the back of the van. Leah could only watch as Tello was strapped to a bed and rushed inside. 

Another team then helped Raph, setting him in a wheelchair. “We’ve got you, big guy,” one of them said as they took him in. 

Leah felt a hand on her shoulder and looked up to see Leo standing next to her. He gave her a reassuring smile and led her inside. The worst of the nightmare was done but they still needed time to recover.


End file.
